The love that exists between a father and son defies description. Those of us blessed to have experienced that kind of love value it beyond measure. We find the definition of that love in a lifetime of moments, little points on our life’s timeline. Its when he took the training wheels off your bike for the first time and the way you felt his hand on your back as he gently pushed you forward while he excitedly yelled, “Pedal!”, or “brake! BRAKE!” It was his arms that scooped you up when you crashed moments later. It was the play wrestling, and the nervousness you sensed from him taking his turn as co-pilot as you drove the family car for your first driving lesson. Maybe it was the first time he had you listen to a song he loved and your ears perked because not only did it resonate but you understood him even more in that moment than you did four minutes and those many years prior. All these moments, if we are fortunate enough to experience them, make us who we are. A part of that man is in us and it’s more than genes: It is a value system, a moral compass that directs us as we go out to build our own lives in an uneasy world.
And then the moment comes to leave home and face the reality that its time to find our worth. And that last night at home, do you remember it? As the moments ticked down to a morning departure, your room was just a little different. Something just felt inexplicably strange. Perhaps it was an odd finality that seemed so powerful, and you were ready to go but there was the tug of the love you have for those who love you so much. You knew you would be home for holidays and perhaps even more visits than that, but you knew that from the time you left that driveway in the morning, something would always be different. Then the moment comes. There were hugs, no doubt tears, and then you turned your back and were on your way. That moment was one of the BIG points on your life’s timeline. Greg Loiacono (The Mother Hips, Green Leaf Rustlers) is watching his son go through this right now. Last fall he was helping his son find a college and now he will be saying goodbye to an incredibly great kid. He will always be there, but from here on out something will be different.
So when a friend of Greg’s sent him a copy of Tom Rush’s version of Murray McLaughlin’s “Child Song,” something seriously poignant happened. Tears fell as the lyrics washed over him, catapulting him to that precipice that is to let go of the one you never really want to let go of. So, Greg did what Greg does, he decided to make some music. He went to his friend and bandmate Tim Bluhm’s (The Mother Hips) studio in Fairfax, California and this time, instead of writing his own song, he recorded a cover of a cover and Loiacono’s version of “Child’s Song” will be released this Father’s Day. As his buddy Joe said when he sent the song to Greg, as you listen, we dare you to keep your eyes dry. It says everything about that single momentous moment in our lives where families do not break but begin to spread out. And to make this song even sweeter, the cover art for the single was made by Greg’s wife Carolina and all the proceeds made as a result of this beautiful, little cover will go directly to The Blue Rose Foundation that provides preschool scholarships to children from economically disadvantaged families.
And while many of us cannot hug our dads for one reason or another this weekend, give a thought to that guy, and, if you’re lucky, pick up the phone and give him a call if you can’t see him.
Happy Father’s Day Everyone. Thanks, Dads
