Que Sera, Sera ...

Today contains two holidays rolled into one: Valentine's Day and the Chinese New Year (Year of the Tiger). Still, I began my day thinking about Mother. National Public Radio aired an interview on Weekend Edition Sunday with screenwriter and director, Doug McGrath, who recently wrote a New York Times article about Doris Day. Of course, Day’s name brought Mother to mind.

I certainly remember watching Doris Day movies back in the ‘60s. Surprisingly, when I looked Day up on the internet I found that she starred in 39 films, performed 650 songs, received one Academy Award nomination, received Golden Globe and Grammy awards and, as of 2009, was the top-ranking female box office star of all time (Wikipedia).

Today, for the first time in my life, I realized that Mother and Dad likely exerted equal influence over me when it came to my love of music, dance, literature, films, and art. Until now, though, I’d attributed my love of the arts to Dad. Dad read us stories, played classical music on the record player on Sunday afternoons, and read plenty of books himself.

But it was Mom who talked to me about movies and popular film stars; Mom who sang me snippets from some of her best-loved songs; Mom who picked me up from choir, duet, trio, small group, and orchestra practices; and Mom who signed me up for dance classes and who drove me to those lessons week after week for seven uninterrupted years. Mother couldn't hide how deeply moved she was by song lyrics and movie storylines ... nor did she try.

When I asked Mother some question about the future, she’d look at me and sing one of Doris Day’s most well-loved songs:

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, ‘What will I be?
Will I be pretty, will I be rich?’
Here’s what she said to me

‘Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future’s not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be.’

It wasn’t what I wanted to hear from Mother but now, years later it’s what I remember. (I wonder whether she asked her own mother questions about an unknown future too.)

The fact that Mother sang her answer to me was a great un- and underappreciated gift. Today I sing these same lines over and over to myself as I hold memories of Mother in my mind. The combined wisdom and showmanship of songwriter, Ray Evans; singer, Doris Day; and one of my first unheralded teachers and philosophers--Mother--still sings true: Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be.