WISHES

I WISH YOU SUNSHINE THROUGH THE RAIN
I WISH YOU STRENGTH THROUGH YOUR PAIN
I WISH YOU ENDURANCE WHEN YOUR SPIRITS ARE LOW
I WISH YOU FRIENDSHIP WHEN YOU FEEL ALONE
I WISH YOU CALM WATERS AFTER THE STORMS

I WISH YOU SELFLESSNESS TO GIVE OTHER'S A HELPING HAND
MAY YOU SEE THAT LIFE IS A GIFT
MAY YOUR SELF AWARENESS ABOUND
I WISH YOU BEAUTY  AND EASE
I  WISH YOU FREEDOM FROM ALL SELF DOUBT

LIFE IS TO BE CELEBRATED...
GRATITUDE IS THE PATH
SO SING AND DANCE, LET THE MUSIC PLAY, REJOICE!
GIVE YOUR TIME ON EARTH A PURPOSE,  A VOICE

I WISH YOU A RADIANT AND GIVING HEART
I WISH  YOU A KIND SPIRIT THAT SOARS
I WISH YOU LAUGHTER AND SMILES
IN WISH YOU EYES TO SEE BEAUTY IN OTHERS AND YOURSELF
ABOVE ALL ELSE, I WISH YOU LOVE

LOVE IS GIVEN FREELY
BUT WE MUST ALL EARN TO KEEP
I WISH YOU GRACE
AND THE GLOW IN A CHILD'S FACE

THE ANGELS ARE WATCHING YOU

CLOSE  YOUR EYES,  MY BABY

CLOSE YOUR EYES,  MY SWEET

THE SUN WILL WAIT  'TIL YOU AWAKE

THE ANGELS ARE GUARDING YOU

THE SUN WILL WAIT 'TIL YOU AWAKE

THE ANGELS ARE GUARDING YOU

CLOSE YOUR EYES,  MY BABY

CLOSE YOUR EYES,  MY SWEET

THE ANGELS ARE SMILING  TOO 

THE STARS ARE SHINNING

THE ANGELS ARE SIGHING TOO

THE ANGELS ARE SIGHING

CLOSE YOUR EYES,   MY BABY

CLOSE YOUR EYES,  MY PETE!

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SLEEP

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SLEEP

THE SUN WILL WAIT 'TIL YOU AWAKE

THE SUN WILL  WAIT  FOR YOU

THE SUN WILL WAIT 'TIL YOU AWAKE

THE SUN WILL WAIT FOR YOU

CLOSE YOUR EYES, MY BABY
CLOSE YOUR EYES, MY SWEET
CLOSE YOUR EYES, MY BABY
CLOSE YOUR EYES, MY PETE...

CHERISH THE NOW

THE NOW IS ALL WE HAVE
YESTERDAY WAS YESTERDAY'S DREAM
AND TOMORROW IS HOLLOWED GROUND
ONLY TODAY'S LOVE COUNTS

MAY I LOVE YOU FOR THIS MOMENT?
FOR THIS MOMENT CAN YOU BE MINE?
FOR THIS MOMENT
I CAN PROMISE, IT WILL BE THE BEST OF TIMES

LET'S FORGET ABOUT THE PAST
LET'S FORGET WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
HOLD ME CLOSE AND THIS WILL BE OUR CHERISHED NOW
PERHAPS, AS SWEET AS IT HAS EVER BEEN.

WHAT HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN
WHAT WILL COME TOMORROW ONLY A FOOL WILL TELL
TODAY  AND TODAY'S EMBRACE
FOR TODAY LET ME CARESS YOUR FACE

FEELING IS THE LIVING PASSION
TODAY AND TODAY'S KISSES AND GENTLE TOUCH
IS THE TODAY WE MUST HAVE
ENDURING LOVE IS WHAT WE ALL LONG FOR SO MUCH

SO LET TODAY BE THE MOMENT
ENGRAVED IN OUR HEARTS
LE T TODAY BE THE MOMENT
WE CHERISHED THE NOW...


..

REBIRTH FROM THE ASHES

MY TEARS HAVE SUBSIDED
YET, I AM LEFT WITH THE PAIN
I HEAR MYSELF LAUGHING
YET,  ONLY HEAR MY MOURNFUL CRY
I AM LIVING, BUT SLOWLY DYING INSIDE


DARLIN', I CAN'T FORGET YOU'RE GONE
I AM SURROUNDED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS
I HEAR THEIR VOICES AND LAUGHTER
IT SHOULD BE AS MUSIC TO MY EARS
YET, IT ONLY BRINGS ME EMPTINESS AND TEARS


LIFE IS JUST NOT THE SAME, YOU ARE NOT HERE
WHEN WILL IT LEAVE ME, THIS UNBEARABLE PAIN?
MUST EVERY DAY OF SUNSHINE
BE ANOTHER  DAY OF ENDLESS, DEAFENING RAIN?


MY TEARS HAVE SUBSIDED
YET, I AM LEFT WITH THE PAIN
I AM SLOWLY CRAWLING OUT OF THE VALLEY OF DARKNESS
MY TEARS ARE SUBSIDING
YET, I AM LEFT WITH THE VOID


FROM THE ASHES I MUST GIVE BIRTH TO JOY
FROM THE ASHES I MUST GIVE MY LIFE NEW MEANING
I NOW AWAKEN WITH ONLY ONE PURPOSE
TO LIVE  WITH AN ABUNDANT HEART
FOR IT IS ONLY THEN I CAN GIVE YOUR MEMORY A VOICE


FROM THE ASHES I SAW THE LIGHT
THE TEARS WERE MY SALVATION
I WALKED THROUGH THE STORM
AND GAIN, I KNOW, LOVE IS SUBLIME!


REBIRTH FROM THE ASHES
AGAIN, I REJOICE!
IT TOOK A LONG , LONG TIME
BUT NOW I KNOW...YOU HAVE NEVER LEFT ME
AND NOW I KNOW, YOU NEVER WILL...

YOU WERE; YOU ARE STILL  MINE!

LOVE FOR THE MOMENT

ONCE I WAS ASKED BY MY SON, PETER , LIKE A LOT OF CHILDREN MUST HAVE ASKED OTHER PARENTS, WHICH ONE OF US DID I LOVE THE MOST. I THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR A FEW MOMENTS WANTING TO GIVE A GOOD ANSWER AND AN HONEST ONE.

"WELL, SON, I GUESS IT IS THE ONE THAT IS WITH ME AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE HE NEEDS ME AND WANTS ANSWERS FROM ME; ANSWERS ONLY I CAN GIVE YOU. BUT WHEN I HAVE ANOTHER BROTHER OR SISTER IN FRONT OF ME TALKING AND SHARING; IT IS THAT ONE". HE UNDERSTOOD AND WAS SATISFIED. HE SMILED, KNOWING THAT AT THAT MOMENT I LOVED HIM THE MOST .
HE SCURRIED OUT TO PLAY, SMILING AS HE ALWAYS DID. IT WAS THE BEST ANSWER I COULD GIVE. AND OVER THE YEARS I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT WITH FRIENDS OR LOVERS, THE SAME HOLDS TRUE. WE LOVE THOSE WHO ARE WITH US AT THAT MOMENT; OTHERS CERTAINLY DISAGREE, BUT I DO NOT THINK HUMAN BEINGS ARE CAPABLE OF MORE. IF WE GIVE ONE OUR FULL ATTENTION WE REALLY CAN LOVE FOR THAT PRESENT MOMENT...NOW WHEN A MOTHER , LIKE MYSELF, THAT WAS LUCKY  TO HAVE SIX CHILDREN AND WE GATHER FOR OUR FAMILY OUTINGS, I JUST GLOW; IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING AND I OFTEN GO TO ANOTHER ROOM WHERE I CAN BE ALONE AND I HAVE A SIMPLE PRAYER: "THANK YOU GOD, FOR THIS MOMENT"

The Madonna in My Life

I remember her white nightgown, the typical campo style worn in Mexico, her long flowing black  hair on both sides of her face. I was in awe of this Mexican beauty, my beautiful mother, Alexandria. Everything was white in her room, the light was brilliant almost  as if there were an aura around her. She was lovingly holding a baby. Later I learned he was my brother, little Andrew. She smiled and stroked his his head gently and with the back of her hand she touched his face. It was surreal, magical and confusing.
I felt like an intruder, maybe that was the word, I don't know for sure; I was just a little girl. I thought she looked like a Madonna, holding the Christ child. I remember those images from church. She looked so sad.
It frightened me to see her cry, tears falling down her face and she sobbed quietly and held the baby tight to her chest.  I had never seen mother cry before.I felt frozen;I wanted to help my mother, but I could not. I prayed she would not see me.This was a grown up thing. I did not understand. But I just wanted her to smile again.
 I had witnessed a sacred moment; Andrew died a few days later...

MY NAME IS FRED / LYRICS

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL, I HEARD FATHER SAY
CHASE BUTTERFLIES AND PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS
REMEMBER THE ROSES IN OUR BACK YARD
'CAUSE THE COSMOS, THE COSMOS, STILL WILL BE THERE

LET THE MEN FLY, FLY HIGH
LET THE MEN HUNT AND GO TO WAR
LET THE MEN SEARCH FOR RICHES AND FAME
YOU, MY DAUGHTER, JUST HONOR OUR NAME!

FOLLOW THE RAINBOWS WHERE EVER YOU GO
FOLLOW THE RAINBOWS WHERE EVER YOU GO
AND YOU'LL ALWAYS, YOU'LL ALWAYS,  BE RIGHT AT HOME
'CAUSE THE COSMOS, THE COSMOS, STILL WILL BE THERE

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS, WHERE EVER YOU GO
DAUGHTER, MY DARLIN', DON'T FORGET WHAT I'VE SAID
I AM YOUR FATHER, YOUR DADDY, YOUR DAD
MY NAME IS FRED

DON'T  FORGET ME
AND THE THINGS I HAVE SAID
I AM YOUR FATHER, I AM YOUR FRIEND
AND I'VE LOVED YOU
MY NAME IS FRED!

YOU KEEP ON SINGING AND WRITING YOUR SONGS
JUST REMEMBER TO HONOR HIS NAME!
JUST REMEMBER TO HONOR HIS NAME!
'CAUSE THE COSMOS, THE COSMOS, STILL WILL BE THERE!

NEVER FORGET ME AND THE THINGS THAT I'VE SAID
I AM YOUR FATHER, MY NAME IS FRED
I AM YOUR FATHER, MY NAME IS FRED!