Does your family have a favorite song? My family (like yours, I’m sure) has a few favorites, one of which is called “Always,” and was written in 1925 by Irving Berlin. Two of my great-grandmothers, Idelle Ross Pennebaker and Louise Jones Hopkins, particularly loved “Always.” And because I believe in the transcendent love of generations of mamas, I sing this tune to my sweet baby, so that she and I may feel connected to her great-great-grandmothers and the mamas who loved them when they were babies:
I’ll be loving you, always. With a love that’s true, always.
When the things you’ve planned…
need a helping hand…
… I will understand, always. Always.
Days may not be fair, always.
That’s when I’ll be there, always.
Not for just an hour. Not for just a day. Not for just a year.
But always.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Eleanora Babe. Your dad and I will be loving you always.
xoxo,
