A Tribute To Late Raymond

This song was long held back in me, dated when late brother Raymond was still with us. And this song is now dedicated to Jacklyn and her beautiful children.

Dance With My Father
By the late Luther Vandross

Back when I was a child,
before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high
and dance with my mother and me and then
Spin me around 'til I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure I was loved
If I could get another chance,
another walk, another dance with him
I'd play a song that would never, ever end
How I'd love, love, love
To dance with my father again

When I and my mother would disagree
To get my way, I would run from her to him
He'd make me laugh just to comfort me
Then finally make me do just what my mama said
Later that night when I was asleep
He left a dollar under my sheet
Never dreamed that he would be gone from me
If I could steal one final glance,
one final step, one final dance with him
I'd play a song that would never, ever end
How I'd love, love, love
To dance with my father again

Sometimes I'd listen outside her door
I'd hear how my mother cried for him
I pray for her even more than me
I pray for her even more than me

I know I'm praying for much too much
But could you send back the only man she loved
I know you don't do it usually
But dear Lord she's dying
To dance with my father again
Every night I fall asleep
and this is all I ever dream

Preparing this year's youth Christmas was hard for me. On one hand everything seems to be working fine. Practice schedule didn't go haywire during Raymond's passing, due to his children's insistance to carry on with the skit, or otherwise presumably being persuaded into insistance, whichever applicable. But underneath i can't help but to admire their perseverance, after the loss of prolly the most important person to them, that they keep digging the wounds freshly inflicted on them. I wouldn't have allowed that to happen.

It's just so fast, as i still remembered one fine morning when i gathered a few people to visit brother Raymond, that afternoon the devastating news of his passing. Have you ever been 30seconds late for your schoolbus and watch helplessly as it passes by? I have. Only this time a thousand times the heart break. My rest of the day went like the weather of that day; gloomy.

Perfect picture that paints my heart out.
And it's raining now, again.

How ironic.