Things of Nature Humanized

Cindy, Paul and Diana Harward

Both of my parents [Gaylord and Pauline Harward] are excellent singers, and they loved to sing to their small children as well as harmonize with each other. As a family we enjoyed singing in our home, but I had a problem with some of the objects of the songs. Take for example Suzy Snowflake. Whenever it would snow, Mom would start singing about this Suzy who would tap, tap, tap on our windowsill asking us to come out and play. At a young age, I couldn't understand that Suzy was actually a snowflake and not a little girl asking us to come play with her.

This is similar to how I envisioned Suzy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdYDdm3fZiM

Then there was the song about the man in the moon. We as a family usually sang the song I See the Moon as we were driving down the road and watching a big, beautiful moon follow us like a shadow. As a child, I wondered about this strange man who looked down into our car. Why didn't he follow other cars to their homes?

Mom and Dad really liked singing this one together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l18E-dYvawo

I never have figured out the Sandman who Mom told me would put sand into my eyes to help me fall asleep during naps and at nighttime. I watched for this strange little man, and I waited and waited, but I never saw him in the act. When I awoke I knew he must have hit his mark.

You can only imagine how I felt about the Easter bunny, Jack Frost and the tooth fairy.

I think children today are smarter than I was then, but I am going to try to be more clear with my grandchildren when I recount those silly stories and songs.