HER SONG IS MY SIGN! I want to start out by saying I am a HUGE fan of Cindi Lauper. I even had the privilege to see her perform at Radio City Music Hall for a Christmas Special with Eddie Money. A concert I almost missed, because my older sister had no business driving us into the city from New Jersey. It actually took her THREE times – passing the entrance to the arena – having to loop around the toll for the Lincoln Tunnel, before we finally made it into the parking lot. It sure was worth it though, because she ROCKED! :-)
Anyway, the song Time After Time has always been my favorite. It is not only my favorite song by Cindi but it is one of my “All Time Favorite Songs.” When my dad passed away about 8-years ago, I had to leave my home in Florida and return to my hometown, Hopatcong, NJ, for a month to straighten up my parents affairs. I traveled with my eight month old baby girl and her 5-year old sister. It was hard. My husband could not leave work to be with us. My mother could not be left alone in the house she shared over 40-years with my dad in. Thank God I had a lot of life long friends to help me get through it all.
Strange though, every time I would try to sneak away for even a moment by myself, her song, Time After Time would come on the radio. It was like I could feel my dad’s presence. I had always related the song to a past love, but it was during my moments of overwhelming grief that it would play, and I would find comfort in knowing it was my dad reminding me that he was still watching over me and he would be waiting.
Okay, I know it all sounds hokey. BUT, she filmed her video for Time After Time in Ledgewood, NJ, in a diner I grew up in. The Dover Bus Station, also in the video, was only miles from my home. I have always had a connection to the song, but after that I believe – every time I hear that song he is visiting with me.
Before my dad died, he was always busting chops about how I never used my degree in Print Communication/Journalism that he paid for when he moved me down south to attend The University of Central Florida. Much like with my two older sisters, he felt like we should have all done more professional things with our educations than any of us did. I was always proud to be a WAITRESS-MOM as long as I got to spend as much quality time with my girls as I possibly could. Unfortunately, to him, that was just a waste of time and HIS money.
So, recently, when I published my very first book, Serving Up Some Funny, a spicy little joke book from a server’s point of view, I was amazed to find the song, Time After Time mixed up in the batch again. The marketing team at Strategic Book Publishing, the publishing house that published my book, created a YouTube video trailer for my book.
When I first received the link to my NEW YouTube video, something my daughters had to show me how to do, I was very pleased. The video was cute. I was happy to simply finally have bragging rights that “I am a published author. I did not waste my father’s tuition money to be a house wife. I just didn’t go professional soon enough for him to see it.”
Suddenly – out of the corner of my eye – I notice under Related Videos, listed to the right of my name and my book title, the link to Cindi Lauper’s music video Time After Time.
I was BEYOND moved. It was like my dad had literally come back from the dead to tell me that he was proud! How cool is that? I felt total recognition, for the first time in my entire life, and it was all through Cindi that it was possible.
Some might say it is all in my imagination. But, I know better. I believe in signs, and I know other watch over me and guide me along my way. I thank Ms. Lauper for helping me see the signs.
