Wednesday, February 07, 2007

I, the Composer

Singing Alex and Gabby to sleep was one of the most fulfilling motherly duties I did when they were still babies. The lullabies were mostly songs I invented in my head, personalized you would say for my baby-loves.

Recently, Gabby, probably taking advantage of the very rare times I came home before they were asleep, dragged me to bed and asked me to sing her a song. "Imbento or real song?" I asked. "Imbento, mommy."

And so I sang to her what I had sung to them when they were still small enough to fit in my arm. Giggling and smiling with her eyes closed, Gabby looked both mischievous and content. Then she cuts me in the middle of a reprise - "Yung real song naman."

So I sing her Gabrielle's Sunshine - my song for her and her ate. The lyrics are so apropos...

Sunshine through my window
That's what you are
My shining star
Sunshine
Making me feel like
I'm on top of the world
Telling me I'll go far

Reaching out, for new highs
You inspired me to try
I felt the magic inside
And I felt that I could fly
I'm looking at the world in an optimistic light
You made me appreciate my life
'Cos when you came you were my

Sunshine through my window
That's what you are
My shining star
Sunshine
Making me feel like
I'm on top of the world
Telling me I'll go far

And so composing lullabies has become not just my nightly (at least on those very few nights i'm home early) diversion but also my babies'. I heard them last night comparing tunes and lyrics, trying to outdo each other.

Last night, I sang Gabby a somewhat jolly "imbento" song but she'd rather hear something "malungkot naman." She meant something slow and mellow. She said it helped her fall asleep faster.

3 comments:

YupkiGirl said...

I like this song too, mare. Feel good ba. Pero ba't di mo pinost yung mga imbentongs songs mo?

tinapa said...

mare, dapat kasi kantahin ko para ma-appreciate nyo. haha! padalhan kita mp3 o wav file? hehe!

Anonymous said...

Sure ba! I post natin sa Internet at pagkakitaan yan hahahaha!