I can recall my mother learning this song on the piano. It was 1989, before we moved to North Carolina. I can't believe I was 10! Looking back, I feel like I was younger than that in our time in Augusta. My year didn't really start until the time at Bragg. I'm digressing, again. I have a habit of doing it.

My mother played the piano. She wasn't a professional, but she played it at our Catholic Church. After a few years of my mother playing, the priest went out and hired a guy with a degree to play and dropped my mother. My mother ended up getting a laugh out of it. It got to the point she was the only one that could play for the children's service on Christmas Eve. Seems the professional the church hired couldn't do it! So, she played the organ for Christmas Eve mass the last few Christmases in Augusta.

Because she played the piano and her church service, when someone we knew or one of their friends needs piano services, they came to my mother. In the case of "Eternal Flame," it was a song chosen for a wedding of friend of one of my mother's friends. And my mother was hired at the pianist/organist. As a result, my mother spent many a days up until that wedding playing "Eternal Flame" on the piano. Nicki, when we were home, would sing along. "Eternal Flame" became on of Nicki's favorite songs.

I miss my mother's piano playing.

[♪ Listening to: "Suddenly" - Billy Ocean on .977 The '80s Channel]

Posted by Shawn at August 8, 2007 9:04 PM in Memories.