This weekend my family and I celebrated the life of my mother, Dot Gibson. The funeral service was held at the church where I was baptized, where my parents were married, where my mother’s ashes are placed next to my father’s in the columbarium, St. James Episcopal Church in Jackson, MS.
The musical prelude was sung by my brother. He is a musician, and the song he sang was an original one he wrote about our parents. We were blessed to be raised by loving parents. They supported Hunter’s aspirations to be a performer, even when it didn’t seem like a practical vocation. In more recent years, Hunter has been performing at senior living places. My parents found their independent living apartment because Hunter had played there many times, and he felt it was a safe place for them.
Music has always been an integral part of my family’s life. Mom taught piano lessons and studied piano, receiving her masters and performing with the Chaminade Club of Jackson. She was on the founding board for the Music Forum of Jackson. Her legacy lives on in my brother.
Here are the words to his song, followed by a link to it on YouTube.
Reason That I Am
When I was just a boy,
time went by in such a hurry.Carefree days and tender nights,
growing up without a worry.Mother, Father, reasons for the man I am.
Don’t let go of the memory.
Let it guide you to the truth.
Don’t let go of the memories
of the ones who tried to pave the way for you.Even through the troubled years,
love was always there to guide me.
Not afraid to chase a dream.
Knowing that you’d be there beside me.Mother, Father,
you’re the reason that I am.Don’t let go of the memory.
Let it guide you to the truth.
Don’t let go of the memories
of the ones who paved the way for you.
The ones who never strayed from you.
The ones who let you be just you.By Hunter Gibson, all rights reserved
Reflections on the Teche 