Hush-a-Bye

And the night shall be filled with music,

And the cares that infest the day

Shall fold their tents like the Arabs

And as silently steal away.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Day Is Done

When we hold our infant children close it only comes naturally to hum or sing to them and sooth all discomfort or fuss with the simple vibrations of a lullaby. I remember my mom would sometimes sing to my older daughter instead of talking to her, describing the world around her on the waves of some familiar tune. And of course I myself would find myself humming some song or another that was stuck in my head while rocking my babies to sleep. But somewhere along the lines the humming and singing became less, and now my youngest daughter, who is six months old, is the only one of my kids I actually sing to.

Tonight I got an urge to sing to my children. After baths were done, teeth brush, and bedtime stories told, I sat next to each of my kids’ beds, stroked their arms and backs, and hummed them each a lullaby. I was afraid my sudden humming might seem weird to them, and I have to admit I was a bit embarrassed at first when it came to my older daughter, who is five. But within seconds of me humming, their eyes closed, their muscles relaxed, their breathing slowed… In no more than five minutes my kids were sound asleep.

I believe tonight was the easiest bedtime I had ever experienced. Within 45 minutes I had all three children sound asleep. Absolutely no fussing, no whining, no arguing about staying in bed. Just pure relaxation and ease.

Music most definitely sooths the soul, no matter what our age is.