Bluebird

My Mom prints out each of my blog entries for my grandmother to read and have.  This is the same wise grandmother that told me the story that "presence speaks for itself."  Well, apparently when my Mom read one of my latest blog entries to my Grandmother, The Abyss, she started singing lyrics from a song.  There is a song that was written back in the 1930s called "Bluebird of Happiness."  Being the amazing woman that my grandmother is she recalled that this song references pretty much what I was speaking of in my blog entry.   How she does this I do not know, but I'm fairly sure she was born with that sixth sense that people often speak of.  She has been able to predict, or sense, when certain events have occurred throughout my life.  And she always finds a way to make me reflect even further on things through her amazing presence in my life, and for that I am blessed.


In case you have never heard of the song, which I'm pretty sure many of you have not, I'll copy it below for us all to reflect on: 

 

Bluebird of Happiness by Edward Heyman

The beggar man and the mighty king are only diff'rent in name,

For they are treated just the same by fate.

Today a smile and tomorrow a tear,

We're never sure what's in store,

So learn you lesson before it is too late, so

 

Be like I, hold your head up high,

Till you find a bluebird of happiness.

You will find greater peace of mind

Knowing there's a bluebird of happiness.

And when he sings to you,

Though you're deep in blue,

You will see a ray light creep through,

And so remember this, life is no abyss,

Somewhere there's a bluebird of happiness.

 

The poet with his pen, the peasant with his plow,

It makes no difference who you are.

It's all the same somehow.

The king upone his throne, the jester at his feet,

The artist, the actress, the man on the street,

It's a life of smiles, and a life of tears,

It's a life of hopes, and a life of fears.

A blinding torrent of rain, and a brilliant burst of sun,

A biting, tearing pain, and bubbling, sparkling fun.

And no matter what you have,

Don't envy those you meet,

It's all the same, it's in the game,

The bitter and the sweet.

And if things don't look so cheerful,

Just show a little fight,

For every bit of darkness,

There's a little bit of light.

For every bit of hatred,

There's a little bit of love.

For every cloudy morning, there's a midnight moon above.

 

So don't you forget,

You must search til' you find the bluebird.

You will find peace and contentment forever

If you will -

 

Be like I, hold you head up high,

'Til you see a ray of light and cheer.

And so remember this, life is no abyss,

Somewhere there's a bluebird of happiness.

 

And there you have it.  An oldie, but a goodie - and you all know how much I love oldies.  If things don't look so cheerful, show a little fight...for every cloudy morning, there's a midnight moon above.  No more needs to be said.  The words and lyrics are a perfect response to my blog, even if I haven't quite found that bluebird.  I'm still swimming, but at least now I'm looking up to try to find the bluebird as I go...

 

When I looked up this song of course a Wikipedia entry popped up.  The article first talked about Native American folklore (which I've always found fascinating - I even wrote a paper on it in college).  Apparently the Navajo identify the Mountain Bluebird as a spirit associated with the rising sun.  They have a Bluebird Song they sing to remind tribal members to always rise and greet the sun:  "Bluebird said to me, 'Get up, my grandchild. It is dawn,' it said to me."  It blows my mind how across cultures and generations, these little simple kernels of wisdom have withstood the test of time and have been passed down for us to be able to still reflect on today.

 

So as I woke up this morning, and thought about rising to greet the day, I happened to look back into my quote book.  And sure enough, it was propped open to a page that had a recent quote I found - "Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought" - Percy Bysshe Shelley.  I have no doubt that "Bluebird of Happiness" was written by someone who was fighting a similar darkness and searching for a little bit of light, an extra knot in the rope, etc. to help pull him through.  Therefore, I must search on for the elusive bluebird.  Thanks to my grandmother for again reminding me that this bluebird exists - she found the song for me, now I just have to be able to sing it...