Story in a song

I'm away wiping tears now, and it's all Danielle's fault. This granddaughter, now 20 but still my little girl, sent me a text message last night saying, "Listen to this song, 'The Best Day.' It reminds me of you and me."


<p>Well, I don't have one of those fancy, newfangled phones, so I sent her back a message that I'd have to look up the song and listen the next day.
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<p>I did.
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<p>"The Best Day" is written and sung by Taylor Swift from the eyes of a child growing up, beginning when she is 5 years old and remembering -- I'll pretend it was written by Danielle to me -- a fun day that ended with a golden sunset and her going to sleep on my lap.
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<p>"I know I had the best day with you today."
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<p>Then, Danielle/Taylor is 13 and doesn't "know how my friends could be so mean." It describes our time together as she got through that, and the song reminds me of our Saturday morning rural drives searching for different wildflowers to photograph -- good bonding time.
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<p>"I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you ... I had the best day with you today."
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<p>It talks about a video the songwriter found, taken when she was three. I have one of Danielle from about that time, when she performed "I Am A Promise" with such pizzazz she brought the day-care crowd to its feet.
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<p>"I love you for giving me your eyes, for staying back and watching me shine," and then the hook line, "I had the best day with you today."
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<p>Every grandma has special memories with her little ones. I have 10 grandchildren and I hold each of them and our times together near my heart.
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<p>A friend from long ago, Linda Allen, wrote a song about her grandmother, afflicted with Alzheimer's, and its hook line speaks volumes: "Hold on to memories. In the end, that's all we have."
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<p><b>Happy birthday Friday to</b> M.J. Praetz, Dr. David Coble, Lena Wilson, Zalyn Rogers and Cristine Marie Welborn, all of Sherman; Ashli Wigington, Steven Wigington, Randy Cassell, Shelli Taylor and Mark Edwards, all of Denison; Steve Davidson of Bells; Everette Allen Webster of Waco; Madison Dobbs of Pottsboro; Jimmy Lynn Miller of Ravenna; Kathy Ledder of Fredericksburg.
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<p><b>Happy anniversary Friday to </b>Chuck and Quanah LaFoy of Denison, 50 years.
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<p><b>Happy "Halloween" birthday Saturday to </b>Billy Ray Robertson Sr., Leodous Moore, Michelle Mitchell and Venus Daniels, all of Sherman; Anthony Keith Dawson, Charlie Blanton, Da'Shae Dunlap, Ellie Kriebel, Barbara Ann Kinney Smith and Charlie Blanton and his son, John Blanton, all of Denison; Carolyn Manuel and Sharon Starr, both of Dallas; Shannon Lindley of Mission; Chloe Dockery of Anna; Bryce Carpenter of Pottsboro; Vanessa Dean of Colbert, Okla.; Rod Givens of Celeste; Kennedi Hudson of Lewisville.</p>