My adult son has recently taken voice lessons to compliment his musical recordings.
I told him I admired his interest in music and wished that I too could sing. I know his dad has a great voice, but I have never once heard my son sing. On the other hand, I know my son does nothing unless he is already very good at it.
His response surprised me: “Everyone can sing.”
Yeah, okay, but seriously, I tried Karaoke twice and the crowd was so embarrassed, they couldn’t even look at me.
My son calmly continued, “People just need to learn how to sing, how to use their voice. It requires learning and practice. Some people sing well naturally, but most people need coaching.”
It was humbling to hear my son use the exact same words that I have declared over painting, or dancing, or writing, or cooking, or speaking, or a ton of other skills and talents people avoid, while claiming they simply cannot.
I spent 59 years telling myself I couldn’t sing.
And I love singing. I sing all the time in the privacy of my car, or in the company of my sisters, who don’t sing any better than me. I wish I had been told long ago that I could sing. I wish I had been told that I could sing when I was a toddler.
I am by nature a brave soul. I tend to speak up in a room, and risk looking foolish. But no one told me I could sing.
No one said that I could not sing. I just decided it was impossible.
Maybe I will take voice lessons too. Maybe I can sing.
