My first husband and I listened to (and sang) a variety of music – predominantly of the pop, MOR, easy listening genre.  We were attracted to music with melodic and harmonic qualities.  When our son arrived 13 months into that marriage, I swung into compose as you go, lullaby on demand mode.  Maybe the grown son is passionate about rock as a rebellion – or maybe just as an extension of being rocked to sleep. I made a favorite rock-you-to-sleep lyric of the song that never ends variety. It was challenging to sing only because it ascended in pitch at each turn around.

There are times in an infant’s life they nod off to sleep peacefully and other times they fight taking a nap;

Times they wake placid and times they wake hungry, soggy, uncomfortable or discontent.

Believing music a great antidote for whatever ails you, I began to employ a wake-up repertoire as well as a go-to-sleep song list.  It took the leap of a nanosecond to adapt Neil Sedaka’s “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” to “Waking Up is Hard to Do.”

They say that waking up is, hard to do;

And I know, I know that it’s true;

After all you’ve slept through;

Waking up is hard to do.

I am a morning person.  I love waking up with the sun and having two or three hours to myself to walk, create or organize before the duties of the day kick in.  Maybe it is the season, or maybe old age, the cares of life – or perhaps the decreasing hours of daylight.  Whatever the reason, waking up these days is occasionally depressing, overwhelming or lonely.

No problem.  I still have music to console me – with little, very little adaptation.

They say that waking up is, hard to do;

And I know, I know that it’s true;

After all, I’ve been through;

Waking up is hard to do.