Sometimes somethings have to end for new things to begin.
Last August, my child-free life came to the end of its existence with the arrival of my daughter Ivy. So-long irresponsible me (I’d been known to stay out until, I don’t know, 12.15 am or something crazy like that!!), farewell last minute adventures to far flung places, auf weirdersehen clothes without food on them, and goodbye to getting anywhere on time, ever! I was ready to take up the role of father. Nappies, midnight walks, all the way through to talks about boys, and how they are totally off limits!
In all honesty, I was sold the second I saw her.
I also came to the end of a long spell as a musician at a small church, at around the same time. I knew I was hanging my guitar up for a while. I had a strong feeling I’d miss it. But the time was right. It had to end.
So, fully focused on dad-stuff. First task, stop her from crying. I’ll sing a lullaby.
I didn’t know any lullabies. I knew ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star’, but it only has one verse, and even with a couple of extra made up verses (Up in outer space so far. Did you get there in a car?) it’s really over quite quick. I also recalled a challenge set for me by a friend – “bet you can’t write a lullaby like that Tom guy off of McFly”.
So I penned ‘Ivy’s Dream Song’, and like all self-respecting millennials, filmed it and put it on Facebook, tagging in my mate.
Over night, 7000 people watched the video. By the end of the week, half a million. By the end of the month, 1.1 million views, a couple of radio plays and a charity single. I’d gone viral! I actually knew now what it felt like to be one of those cat’s that meow along to 70’s disco classics!
One online magazine called it “the lullaby to end all lullabies”.
I had apparently ended the need for any more lullabies. We now had all we needed. Children’s music composers the world over must have been throwing down their pens in fury.
So my guitar had been hung up in retirement for about 2 weeks. But I’d caught the bug again. The last time I’d composed anything for my own love of music was about 8 years ago. I’d been playing regularly in church, but not really been creative for years. Now I was hooked. It was like finding that old friend you’d grown up with. We had so much to catch up on!
I don’t know how long creativity and I will hand out again. Hopefully it’ll stick around for a while, but I know life is fluid and not static. The point is; my child-free existence had ended. My role in music at the church had come to an end. And the worlds demand for lullabies had apparently ended!
But I absolutely love being a Dad. Life feels fuller, with more purpose to it than ever. I’ve fallen in love with music again, and the joy of writing songs. And I can’t get enough of creativity, the privilege we have on earth to make stuff. Be it songs, art, friends, food, even little humans.
Sometimes somethings have to end for new things to begin.
Matthew Finch 