07 Dec Bedtime Hymns
Lately, at bedtime, when I ask Adrian what he wants to sing, he always answers, “Father.” So I sing, “Good Night my Father.” And I think of this post from three years ago when Camilla was his age. When each of my kids were infants, while they nursed at bedtime, I sang to them, lullaby after lullaby. But I always finished up with “Good Night my Father.” I suppose it’s my favorite. It naturally became their favorite too, after hearing it every night of their lives for two full years.
At Christmastime, we change up our lullabies. I usually suggest singing a Christmas Carol at bedtime instead of the usual songs. For Camilla, though, “Jingle Bells” has become a favorite “usual lullaby” and she’ll ask for it year round, which cracked me up at first. Now I’m used to it. My favorite Advent lullaby is “Away in a Manger”. After all, it is also known as “Cradle Song” and the verses are beautiful as a bedtime prayer.
Last week, I asked Adrian if we could sing “Away in a Manger” instead of “Father”.
“Yeah,” he said.
I proceeded to sing and rock my snuggly boy.
After I finished all three verses, he looked up at me and said, “Father.”
“You want to sing ‘Good Night my Father’, too?”
“Yeah.”
I laughed—and complied.
Apparently he just can’t go to sleep until we sing it.
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| Photo by April Roskos |
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