Paying the Price

Here it is, the Wednesday after Girlfriends Weekend, and I'm still tired. I have not caught up on sleep, which is not at all surprising. I can feel illness knocking gently on the door, warning me that if I don't get some serious sleep, like 9 hours or more a night, pretty soon, it's going to wipe me out for a while, and then I won't have a choice. The allergies have set in, and my nose is a little runny already. The tickle in my throat will be next, followed by a full-on head cold. Please join with me in praying that it doesn't happen.

Along with the threat of illness, I'm losing control of my emotions. Little things that I should be weathering with a smile (and possibly a snarky comment inside my head) are erupting into huge crying spells.

The song in my head tonight is an interesting choice. I've been working on the Brahms Requiem (Ein Deutch Requiem) for the choir I sing with at the local university. The 8th grade girls are working on Brahms's "In Stiller Nacht" for region auditions, and I've been teaching it. But the song in my head, is just somewhat Brahms-like. "The Blue Bird" is a piece I have sung for a friend's doctoral choral conducting recital. It was tremendously exciting to sing the close harmonies and intense soft sounds. That's the song in my head tonight. I find it absolutely breathtaking.

(If you really want to hear it, here's a link to a video of the Brahms Requiem. It's over an hour and fifteen minutes, so it's the whole thing. Maybe get a cup of coffee and go potty before you settle in for this one!)