Waiting For A Star To Fall

     I was seven years old when the song Waiting For A Star To Fall came out, by Boy Meets Girl.  Boy Meets Girl was made up of pop duo Shannon Rubicam & George Merrill. They wrote the song for Whitney Houston after seeing a star fall when they had attended one of her concerts.  Whitney's label owner, Clive Davis, rejected the song, and it was then given to Belinda Carlisle who did end up recording it, but left it off of her debut solo album.  When she decided not to release it, Shannon & George decided to do so.  I guess this song was the second single off of Boy Meets Girl's album, but I never knew any other song by these two.  In my eyes they were definitely a one hit wonder.  But I thank God for that.  Sometimes the greatest parts of things like this, is that if feels more like "your own" when it isn't loved or known by every single person on the planet.  Waiting For A Star To Fall just feels like my own little personal piece of childhood, my sister and my mom.

     I can still picture myself as a child during that time of my life.  I was probably wearing some typical fashion from the 80's that came from our local children's clothing store called, The Children's Place in my hometown, Kendallville, Indiana.  My mom always dressed my little sister and I in the cutest clothes for the time.  Picture D.J. and Stephanie Tanner (haha)!  We never had to need or even want for clothes.  My hair would have been crimped from the tight braids my mom would have put in my hair after my bath the night before and I would probably have my hair half up and half down, with the hair that was pulled up in a high ponytail on the upper side of my head.  And oh yes, I would have had the BIG glasses.  Now I don't care how cool you were, there was never a time that glasses from the 80's looked good.  At least not on anyone I had ever seen.  

     When this song was released in June of 1988, I would have been out of school for the summer.  Most likely at my Grandma Nancy's house while my mom worked.  Grandma Nancy was my mom's mom.  She was the SWEETEST, kindest, most loving and gentle woman you could ever imagine.  She was definitely my person.  My childhood wasn't the easiest, and no matter how hard it got, Grandma Nancy was the one to make everything alright.

     After grandma's house, the evenings would have been usually a delicious home cooked meal that my mom made, or we would go out to eat at the Richard's restaurant.  My mom was the BEST cook.  My favorites were lasagna, spaghetti, grilled BBQ chicken, or steaks on the grill.  She always put so much effort into dinner.  It was something I loved, but never fully appreciated until I got much older, and made dinner for my own family.  My sister and I would play outside with the neighbor girl most evenings, or any other kids that were out playing that lived in the neighborhood.  We had such a perfect little community to grow up in.

     In 1988 my mom would have owned her little tanning shop called, "A Place In The Sun", that was directly behind the local Dairy Queen.  I can remember watching the TV that she had at the shop, and my mom always had MTV or VH1 on.  I grew up on music!  I remember not long before my mom passed away I was sitting with her talking about music, and how I felt that I truly got my love of music from her.  She listened to almost everything, and I too am the same way.  I can remember her getting ready in the mornings to her music.  I knew for a long time that my mom had cancer.  I would try to imagine what it would be like when she was gone.  It was gut wrenching.  A certain song would come on the radio and I would think to myself, "Oh I don't know how I will be able to listen to this song when my mom is gone".  There are so many songs that make me think of her.  Drive - Cars, Silent Lucidity - Queensryche, Lady In Red - Chris DeBurgh, I'll See You In My Dreams - Giant, Until The End of Time - Foreigner, Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes, Wicked Game - Chris Isaak, Stars - Simply Red....Oh my gosh there are so many.  BUT, there was nothing like Waiting For A Star To Fall.  Back when cell phones started to be a thing, (the ones where you could actually text and have social media and internet on), I remember being able to download sound clips and create files that could then be made into a ringtone.  My mom asked me to put one on her phone.  I remember Landon (my youngest) was so little at that time but I can't remember an exact year.  I remember sitting and thinking of a song that made me think of my mom the most.  That song was Waiting For A Star To Fall.  There were some personal and private reasons that I thought of her when I heard this song but after it was put as her phone ringtone, it was YEARS before she ever changed it.  It just became "her song". 

     I will never forget when we were little, Aimee, my sister, would sing the song.  There is this line in the song that says, "Waiting for a star to fall, and carry your heart into my arms.  That's where you belong in my arms baby, yeah".  She would sing it in her little tiny voice, "...that's where you belong in my arms baby eb".  I would giggle and try to correct her, but she was stubborn like that and she usually kept on singing it just as she pleased.  I can still hear her in my mind, singing that song with her long blonde hair and her sweet little face.

     I am sure there would be some other song that would be the "mom" song, if this one were never made.  But I can't even begin to put into words the emotions and feelings that I feel when I hear it.  It's the most beautiful, happy, joyous, excruciating pain to feel.  It evokes strong memories and emotions for me, and my sister, too.  My sister and I both share an equal love for the song. 

     I felt a tugging at my heart for some time to write a blog.  I don't expect anyone to read it.  I hope someone will, but am okay if no one does.  I know the online world is saturated with people just like me who want to share their thoughts and ideas.  But, I truly am doing this for no one but myself.  I often find myself sitting and deep thinking about things.  Sometimes I can mull over something for a whole day.  Sometimes it's a fleeting thought. But, most times, the thought will come back over and over.  I feel like having a creative space to put my thoughts down will be good for me.  A way for me to empty my mind and put it in writing.  It's my hope that maybe I will be able to put them down and let some of them go.  Sometimes I think that we are afraid to forget something, so we subconsciously keep rehashing things so that we don't forget.  However when it is put down in type, or print, or whatever one chooses, I believe it has to ability to heal.  I believe we can move on from the things that weigh our hearts and minds.  I also believe we can share good things too, and find like minded individuals.  I hope I will find that others are like me.  Who knows...maybe someday my kids will look back on these and enjoy the love, laughs and heartaches that I share.  But, the one thing I know for sure is that Waiting For A Star To Fall, is my anthem.  My song.  My connection to my mom, my childhood, my sister...everything.    

     What song makes you feel a certain type of way?  Please share in the comments below.