January Rainbows
March 27, 1999
by
Donna Stafford-Skar
(©Donna Stafford-Skar)
My song, January Rainbows, has a bit of
history to it so here goes:
On Dec. 26th 1997, my husband, Allan and I, decided to go over to Alberta to visit our
kids there for a few days. My niece, Caren, who later died of ALS, was still alive and we
spent New Year's Eve with her. It had been a very dry year both here and on the prairies,
and, as we were making our way to Calgary, the roads were bare, no snow in the fields, and
there was actually DUST on the highway! I commented to Allan how rare this was. Once
in Airdrie (Calgary) Trish (our daughter-in-law) and I went to the mall. It was a very
cold but sunshiny day. When we left the mall and walked outside, my mouth dropped open,
because there, in the lovely blue sky, was the biggest, most beautiful rainbow I had ever
seen! In telling someone about this later, I coined the phrase "December dust and
January rainbows". Well, that was enough for this poet's soul to go "Aha"!
So on the drive home, I thought about it some more, composed (in my head) the melody and
the first verse (chorus) of what was to become "January Rainbows". When we
learned that we had to get married in a religious ceremony, before Allan could be
baptized, I decided to finish the song. I did that, sung it into a tape, and went from
there. My friend Melba's co-Sweet Adeline arranges music for the group, so Melba took it
to her, she wrote the music, and the rest - as they say - is history!
After all that, here are the words to the song:
January Rainbows
by Donna Stafford-Skar
Chorus:
The love we share, the life we share,
So rare, so rare,
As rare as December dust
And January rainbows.
I give to you my hopes and dreams
I give to you my sorrows,
You give to me your tender love
And all of your tomorrows
The trials of life, the joys of life,
We see them through together.
With faith and love and gentleness,
Forever and forever.
And through the years, the circle grows,
Like pebbles in still waters
Our legacy of love we'll give
To all our sons and daughters.