Thoughts for Thursday, May 12

As I prepare to write, the voice of my daughter Phoebe rises from downstairs, singing a song we both love, Ruth Moody’s One Voice, sung by the Wailin’ Jennys.

This is the sound of one voice
One spirit, one voice
The sound of one who makes a choice
This is the sound of one voice

This is the sound of voices two
The sound of me singing with you
Helping each other to make it through
This is the sound of voices two

This is the sound of voices three
Singing together in harmony
Surrendering to the mystery
This is the sound of voices three

This is the sound of all of us
Singing with love and the will to trust
Leave the rest behind it will turn to dust
This is the sound of all of us

This is the sound of one voice
One people, one voice
A song for every one of us
This is the sound of one voice
This is the sound of one voice

Today I sat in a chair all day for the second day in a row, describing the strengths and the challenges of my students to their parents and our head of school. I often wear these earrings to parent-teacher conferences, symbols of the important connection between teachers, students, and parents.

On the way to school, I listened to One Voice on CD, singing along. On the way home, I heard it again.

Not until I heard Phoebe singing did I think, “That’s it! That’s the goal of parent-teacher conferences!"  One Voice, singing with love and the will to trust.