I saw tears start rolling down his face. I played the song about Rainy Days and Mondays. Unexpectedly the waterworks came racing down. As Dr. Seuss wrote, “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”
My dad said this was his first live concert. That it reminded him dearly of his mom. Our beloved Omi who had passed nine months ago. This song represented part of who she was. She loved music like this. Even though he described the song as insipid, without much to it being a top 40 instrumental band at the time, it became something more. A crystal clear memory to him once the song began to play.
With immigrant parents, my dad grew up without lavish family vacations. To him, this song recounted a fun memory. As a twelve-year-old boy, it was exciting to go to a live concert for the first time. His older brother was too cool to be truly grateful for it as he was.
I never was at this concert nor do I historically enjoy the Carpenter’s music. But, I now have a connection. A reason to listen. I can imagine the smile Omi wore as her ears happily enjoyed this instrumental soft music.