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Whenever I hear southern gospel music, I set up and take notice, very
quickly. There is just something about that music that stirs my very
soul.
I attribute my love for this style of music from my dear Mother, who
just had music in her very bones. She could play the harmonica, the
guitar and her talent with the ivories were just awesome.
Mom went blind from an eye infection in her middle fifties but she never
complained and for some reason that we are not sure about, she didn't
discuss it; would possibly say; "I don't see so well," and we rarely
heard those words.
I often wonder how far Mother could have gone with her talent if she had
been given half a chance. She was the youngest of thirteen children and
her Mother was made a widow when Mother was only six years old.
Mother and my Dad were both raised in the rural part of Ohio; mostly in
the Appalachia region. Their codes were very old fashioned but true to
God and family. I feel blessed to have been one of their own!
Life couldn't have been easy for my Grandmother to keep the home fires
burning but I can only state that from 'hearsay' as Grandmother died
prior to my birth. In some ways, I feel rather cheated as I only saw
one grandparent, my Dad's father and he was getting aged when I was a
child. Dad's Mother passed when he was eleven years old so that made
Mother and we kids very special to him. I guess that is why being a
grandmother has been so special to me?
Going back in memory, Mother, my younger sister and I were often found
to be in the area of our piano where we would harmonize and 'yes,'
southern gospel was our favorite. I am a high soprano and my sister is
a strong alto. Mother had the gift of sliding her voice right in there
between us........oh for those days of long ago?
"O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the
rock of our salvation!" Psalm 95:1 (KJV)
Norma Lee Liles
11-12-05
leedy76 @ adelphia.net
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