healing your heart 95
by the sea. Peg introduced us, and with her Katie Hepburn
head-shaking way she said, “ Your hair is very curly. ”
She was dear and welcomed me warmly. After a little
lunch, Peg asked me to get out my guitar. I sang her several
Irish songs, and Katharine began to talk about her memories
of Ireland with Spencer ’ s relations, stories of the beach at
Old Saybrook, and requests for more songs. Her feet moved
to and fro as if she were dancing in her chair. Several times
I had to stop and wipe her tears with a tissue in between
verses, and then we shared laughter together as well. It was
soon time for her nap, and we got back in the car to travel
an hour and a bit home. Peg immediately said, “ That was
charming, ” in her Hepburn family way and proceeded to tell
me that her sister had not spoken or conversed like that in
years. The music had released her heart, her memories, and
even her speech. It was that day that I realized I was to sing
for the rest of my life.Whether you have the Irish life experience that Kate had, the
fun memories of the Fiddler ’ s Convention that I do, or never even
heard traditional Scots - Irish or Appalachian Old Time music,
most people are moved by it. Regardless of your gene pool, I would
encourage you to explore this and other genres outside of your favor-
ite golden oldies. Traditional music has survived this long because
it can go straight to our core, and it is worth exploring. Whether it
is Little Windows ’ nature-inspiring “ I Wandered By a Brookside ” or
“ Let the Life I Lead, ” which awakens and renews your desire to live
on purpose, these traditional songs will open you to a healing of the
heart. Traditional singers pass on what was known earlier, yet their
personal experiences of their everyday struggles and celebrations
with family, work, and God still speak to us deeply because much of
what is important to us humans does not really change much.
There seems to be a mythic quality to these old songs, which
may represent a way of life and community to which many of us
are unconsciously drawn. These songs were sung while people
milked cows, fed babies, gathered fl owers, worked the land, and