Pap and my brother Steve
The sound of Pap’s guitar and his singing were the background music to mine and my brother’s lives. Pap not only entertained us over the years, he also soothed us with his music when we were very young.
When we moved into the house Pap built here in Wilson Holler Paul was just about a year old. I remember one day Pap was singing to him to hush his crying.
I was too young to understand at the time, but the beautiful sound of Pap’s singing along with the song he sung about his little pal made me cry.
Pap thought I was crying because Paul was, but it was the emotion of hearing him sing and seeing Paul quieten from whatever had upset him.
Little Ira was being fussy last night as I looked for something to write about today. I was watching him while his momma took a bath (a dabble 🙂 )
Since Sunday is when our music is showcased I went to the Blind Pig and The Acorn YouTube Channel to see what inspired me to write. When you first land on the channel the old hymn “Love Lifted Me” automatically begins to play.
As soon as the music started Ira hushed leaning back against me to listen to the comforting sound.
I smiled as I thought about how Pap’s music is still entertaining and soothing babies from his family even though he’s been gone a good long time now.
Tipper
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That is so sweet. I’m sure the Lord gives your Pap a glimpse from heaven of sweet times like these.
Such a sweet story! I know your father would be pleased to know he is still soothing babies. Precious memories are being made for sure.
Wouldn’t he be pleased about that.
When our daughter was a baby, she would sit in a swing chair while my wife fixed dinner. She cried and fretted. My wife had the idea to draw a picture of a human face and taped it to the cabinet door next to where she sat. It stopped her fretting and crying.
What a sweet story, Tipper. How wonderful! You are making new memories with Ira while remembering sweet memories about Pap.
Thank you for sharing this! Soothing sounds for all of us “young uns”
Thanks for sharing this touching memory, Tipper. Pap’s legacy certainly lives on !
Absolutely beautiful! I bet he did settle down after hearing that beautiful hymn sung and music played! It would me too.
Such a sweet moment to share with Ira. Blessings to All of you.
So sweet !!! Love to you all !!!
What a sweet story! Such a blessing for little Ira to be comforted by his great Grandpap’s singing. I know that would make Pap so happy!
A sweet story Tipper. Those boys have the sound of music in their veins. Coming into a musical family, they already know how music can soothe and comfort – but don’t we all know how music can bring such comfort and peace to our troubled or unsettled souls?
What a beautiful video this is. This answers my question I posted whether Granny and Pap would sing a special lullaby . ❤️This song is the answer when we don’t have the answer. The voices of love and Jesus blending together. Thank you again Tipper for this share. God bless you in this beautiful Sunday. ❤️
Ira knows a good thing when he hears it. Even though Pap is no longer here, he will always be with Ira through the songs, pictures & memories that your family will share with him. What a beautiful and important legacy he has left for his family.
I think “dabble” might have originally come from when people took a bath in a wash pan (basin). Bathtubs were reserved for rich folks who could afford to heat enough water to submerge their whole body. Commoners poured a dipper full of room temperature water in their wash pan, then dipped their fingers in it and apply it to their face and neck with their fingertips. Or wet their palms, make up a lather in their hands and rub it on their face. They rinsed their freshly soaped skin in the same cup of water. Then the water was wiped away with a cloth and the contents of the pan were tossed out the window.
I saw it done many times in my youth. I’ve done it myself. Mothers bathed their baby’s whole body in warm water but never themselves. They “dabbled”. They might have bathed in a creek, river or under a waterfall in summer but they would have been fully clothed to preserve their modesty.
I will go ahead and admit to it, nowadays because the pain and stiffness in my knees and back it is very hard for me to sit and stand up in a bathtub and my back and legs hurt so bad when I take a shower, I sometimes sit when I shave. I do take baths and shave if I need to go somewhere. I said this to say on some days I “dabble.” I don’t guess I stink too bad, at least I haven’t made any buzzards pass out that I know of.
I can get in the tub and sit down to take a bath but I can’t get out. I live by myself so that’s not an option. On good days I can stand up long enough shave and to take a shower but everything is white so I lose my equilibrium. I have one of those handles that attaches with suction cups. Sometimes I have to hold on to that with one hand and wash with the other.
I don’t dabble but I do use Huggies unscented baby wipes on my face, neck and hands a lot.
Old age and disease hasn’t stopped me yet but it shore has slowed me to a crawl.
This takes me back to when I was a very little girl at my Pap’s house. I was in the attic with my Mother and some others, and I had the urge to just take off running across the floor. I didn’t notice the open stair well until like a roadrunner cartoon, I found myself running on thin air! I landed about halfway down the steps and I screamed like I was killed. My Aunt Georgia reached me first and rubbed my back, saying “You’re all right! She’s all right!” She was so sure, that I believed her. I continued to snub and feel sorry for myself though, until Pap came up to me with his fiddle and said, “Lookie here! I’m gonna play you a little tune!” I remember looking straight up at him as he played, and sure enough, he got my mind off my troubles and I went on about my business.
God bless the family
Just beautiful. And I hope Katie enjoyed her dabble.
Little Ira being smoothed by his great grandpa’s sweet voice must have been a beautiful sight to see.
It is so sweet that Pap’s music helped little Ira be comforted and relax. When my youngest grandson gets too tired to relax and go to sleep, I sing to him. He immediately cuddles up to me and closes his eyes. Music is such a comfort to a baby…even when Grammy isn’t a great singer. I enjoyed your song choice this morning. Thank you.
Babies always know good music, and I, too, love your family’s music.
Oh what a glorious inspiring hymn to start the morning!! I love to sing that one and always have loved the old hymns. God bless and have a wonderful week.
What an awesome blessing for little Ira to hear his great Grandpap singing to him. Precious memories for sure ❤️❤️❤️
how precious is that….I can just visualize him all of a sudden becoming attentive to the music–wonder if the key to calming him down everytime he fusses would be found in your dad’s voice and music…God bless and keep you and your family, may the blessings continue to fall on each of you
I just read an article on the effects music has on a person! It helps with stress, anxiety, depression etc. of course listening to the right music brings calming and peace!
Love that Katie took a dabble () while you and baby Ira enjoyed music!
That is such a treasure. Pap lives on with the stories you tell and the videos ya’ll have. What a blessing!
Love Lifted Me is another one of the old hymns we often sing at my old fashion country church. We still sing the old hymns and believe in the old fashion preaching, praying and singing worship services. We are not into today’s new style of worship music and services. Pap’s music is not only soothing to babies but to me, I often listen to him, Paul and other family members singing the good old Gospel Hymns I have sung and heard all my life. It helps lift me up when I am feeling down. It’s a little after 4 now and I have been laying awake since 2 after sleeping about 3 hours and having all kinds of thoughts and memories of the past.
Randy,
May our Heavenly Father ease your pain here in this world and gift you with His peace, grace, mercy, and love. Amen.
I just want you to know that I appreciate your recollections and views that you allow us to enjoy. We have our good memories to tide us over – through the hard seasons of this life – but in His timing all things must go.
KW, I appreciate your kind words. I know and believe I will be with my loved ones again one day but in the meantime I am here trying to carry on with my life without them. The one thing I am glad of is they were all Christians and left no doubt about it.