Hi Loners,
Thunder Road, or 'tunder road,' as Sid calls it, is my second favorite Bruce Springsteen song. (I'm on Fire is #1.) I sing it to him on the nights I put him to bed, after we've read our final book and said goodnight to everything in his bedroom. He's never heard the official version, just my acapella take. The way he stares at me, as if he's trying to understand each word, is so endearing it breaks my heart. He likes it when I pretend to play the guitar during 'I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk,' and when I sing 'oh-oh-oh, oh thunder road!' he repeats the words, delighted by the familiarity.
Preparing to leave him in March has been weighing on me, and I wanted to record a version of the song for Stacy to play while I'm away. This turned into making a video because that will engage him more. But then, it turned into an art project because I needed to be creative and once I'd locked into a flow, I couldn't help myself. The hours I spend at my desk have an entirely new context because they are the ones I am not with Sid. I try not to regret the time spent without him, but on the days when I am most creative, when work isn't work at all, that's when I feel the most conflicted.
Sara
This is so beautiful and your voice is very soothing. I don’t know why I ended up crying. What kind of femotion is this? Can we get an official version of this cover, please? I need it on Spotify
Lovely.
This may not be a universal truth, but I think I am a better parent when I balance my time with my children with other fulfilling endeavours.
Even though parenthood redefines your priorities and who you are as a person, it is not all of who you are.
It can be so, so difficult to spend hours, let alone days, weeks, or longer away from a child you adore and are completely devoted to. Painfully so. Still, I believe that ensuring that you don't lose yourself to parenthood will ultimately lead to a fuller sense of self and a healthier relationship with your child.
That doesn't mean it's easy.