At least once a week, I get to do a sing-along with people
who are in their eighties and nineties. There are even a handful of centenarians
who cheerfully chime in. What do we sing? “It’s a Good Day” and “I Love Being
Here with You” by Peggy Lee; “Bye-Bye Blackbird,” “Has Anybody Seen My Girl?” and
“Button Up Your Overcoat” by Ray Henderson; and “Three Coins in the Fountain”
and “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” by Sammy Cahn. We sing a lot of “Accentuate
the Positive,” “Pennies from Heaven,” and “Catch a Falling Star.” We also cover
a slew of Broadway show tunes, especially Rogers and Hammerstein’s. The lyrics
are upbeat, and the rhythm gets everyone’s toes tapping. In a couple of weeks,
we’ll add “Chestnuts Roasting,” “Home for the Holidays” and “Jingle Bell Rock”
into the mix. Because even when you’re ninety-something (maybe especially when
you’re ninety-something), it’s important to have something to look forward to.
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