My sister-in-law Carol belongs to a country gospel band based out of the Christ Lutheran Church in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The band is called Prairie Spirit. In addition to being the lead singer, Carol also writes and records her own material. I Love You More, a CD she recorded with her band and her granddaughters, is a hit with kids of all ages. The sing-a-long nature of the CD makes it a must have for grandparents and parents everywhere.
While I would have had a difficult time listening to this joyful musical work in the year’s right after Kalei’s death, I am now strong enough to imagine how much fun Kalei and I would have had with this CD on our many car trips to the ranch. However, if sadness and grief try to creep into my thoughts, I substitute the angel for the child and I am able to hold onto the smile that comes with listening to this CD. Although I must warn you, once you hear the Suzy the Squirrel song, you will find it playing over and over again in your head so forewarned is forearmed
As for Kalei’s Song, that CD started out as a single one verse song written by Carol in the early months after Kalei’s death. Carol asked Kalei’s Grandpa to accompany her on the accordion.
This work was not an easy task for either of them. Creating something beautiful, while wrestling with the darkness of their own grief, was a monumental emotional task. Grandpa told me he cried throughout every rehearsal and the recording itself…I am crying now as I write those words because I know how much he loves Kalei and how hard it was for him to participate in the CD. I watched his tears drop onto the keyboard the first time they played her song for me; that day is one of the grief memories that I treasure rather than hate.
Carol, always thinking of others, wanted to do more. In the years since, she added another verse to the original song that speaks to Kalei’s Hawaiian heritage. She followed that up with a more fulsome 9-song CD to coincide with the publishing of Forever Kalei’s Mom. I don’t know how she did it, but the music on the CD follows my journey as perfectly as if each was written specifically for each lifetime.
After listening to all 9 songs, I trust you will understand what I mean when I say, “out of the darkness came the gift of Kalei’s Song.”
If you want to obtain a copy of either of the CD’s, you can order them at http://www.prairiespiritgospel.ca/.
