Monday, September 26, 2022

Daughter’s Day, splitting the difference

Yesterday was National Daughters Day. September 28 is World Daughters Day. I’m splitting the difference and posting today in honor of my daughter, referred to occasionally in these postings as The Daughter Person.

National Daughters Day

If it’s unclear from those postings, I love The Daughter Person, and her daughter, our Granddaughter, a whole lot. I find it fascinating to have an adult child whom I not only love, but like, a whole lot. She has demonstrated excellent taste in her spouse, her daughter, her mother, her friends, dogs, and, on a good day, her father. Over the years she’s also shown a healthy ability to know when to listen to her old man and when to say “yep” and go and do what she was going to do anyway. [It’s possible she acquired that skill from her mother.] I’m proud of her for that and many other things. May all parents, of whatever type, biological. adoptive, foster, or other, be as lucky as I am. (No, I’m not trying to take all or even most of the credit. The women in this family, as in most that I know of, did and do most of the heavy lifting.)

One of my favorite singer - songwriters, Joni Mitchell, is someone’s daughter [note to self, get and read at least one biography] and has allowed Pete Seeger to augment one of her classics with a verse he wrote, the last one below. It fits today’s theme to a “D.” 

UPDATE: listen to Joni and Pete in a duet.


Both Sides Now 

by Joni Mitchell

Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now 
From win and lose and still somehow 
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

I've looked at life from both sides now 
From up and down and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

[Pete Seeger]
Daughter, daughter, don't you know.
You're not the first to feel just so.
But let me say before I go, 
It's worth it anyway.

Some day we may all be surprised,
We'll wake and open up our eyes.
And then we all will realize
The whole world feels this way.

We've all been living upside down,
And turned around with love unfound
Until we turn and face the sun;
Yes, all of us, everyone.


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