“Where words fail, music speaks.”
-children’s author Hans Christian Andersen
If your house is anything like ours, the Olympics have been taking centre stage this past week on the television. When the Winter Olympics were in Vancouver, we watched (we even got to see the Olympic flame when it came through our town), but this is the first year that my daughter is really old enough to "get it" and understand a bit about what the Olympics are all about. She's watched the many different sports with interest (and asked lots of questions!), and is very keen on watching the little segments about the Olympians and their journeys to the Games.
But most of all, she's been waiting. Wanting to know when they were going to play "our song" for the Canadian team. She has been dutifully practicing "O Canada" all over the house (with her little sister happily accompanying her, with much flag-waving and banging on her little drum).
Today, she got her chance, when Canada got its first gold medal.
Listening to the national anthem played, she watched as the flag was raised. And at 5 years old, she somehow understood what most adults take for granted: that it's not just about winning medals or being "the best". The Olympics are about people coming together, and fairness, and mutual respect. And that the music being played was more than just a song, it represents our country, and the ideals that we aspire to.
And that's the great thing about music - it's so much more than just some notes on a page. Just like the athletes at the Games, music has the power to inspire, to teach, and to bring people together.
So, how about you? What music inspires you and your family?
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