For as long as I can remember (which is a long time) we have had a family theme song. My parents would sing the song with their children, I sang it with my children, and now my children sing it with their children.
I believe that it was my Auntie Bea who started the song, so obviously it extends to our... extended family. This is how the song goes; the family form a circle with arms around each other and sing these words:
All love together
all love together
Daddy and Mommy and Andy and Jeffrey and Jeremy and Ashleigh and Caitlin
all love together.
When our boys were very small we added our own little bit to the song; as soon as we finish singing we all say together, "kisses everybody, kisses!" You can imagine that part to be very entertaining as our boys have grown up. When they were little they didn't mind kisses; as they grew older they became goofy as they tried to kiss their brothers but not get kissed back. When Ashleigh and then Caitlin came along, of course all of the boys wanted to kiss their baby sisters.
Through the years we have sung our song most often after a family prayer or at bedtime. Perhaps one of the most tender times for me, was on the day that we took our first missionary to the MTC. On the morning of this particular occasion we knelt in family prayer as our own little family for the very last time; as we stood we put our arms around each other and sang... "all love together, all love together..."
At one of our recent family Christmas parties we all stood in a huge circle and sang the song repeating everyone's names; not long ago I watched Jeff and Melissa sing the song with Avery; and just last week Adam, Zach, and I sang "all love together..." after saying our prayers together. And true to form the little guys said, "kisses everybody, kisses!" And I laughed as I watched brothers try to kiss each other.... without being kissed back.
I'd like to ask the family, how many of you sing "All Love Together" with your family? And to my friends... do you have family songs or similar traditions? Please share...
10 comments:
We also sang it as we got up from a family prayer getting ready to take Sean to the MTC. We sing it with Daddy and Mommy and Baby Hannah.
We have a family song that we made up when our oldest two were about 3&5. It is to the tune 'You're A Grand Old Flag.' We sing it randomly, but haven't for quite a while. The words were handpicked by the kids and are quite humorous...Thanks for the reminder. I think I'll have to do a post about it to permanently record that family memory. Plus my little boys need to learn it...
The California Marsdens sing "All Love Together" as well, minus the kisses part :-) Although we don't sing it as often as we used to now that our kids are teen-agers. Still lots of love in the family, but we are not as good of a sport about doing mushy embarrassing stuff as the rest of the Marsdens I guess :-) Too bad for us :-)
Yep. We do it. But we don't do the kisses part. Someone always wants to be in the middle of the circle because when we finish singing it's a big group hug. Why I am never in the middle baffles me!
You made me cry when you said you sang it at the MTC. How did you get through singing it??? I cry just THINKING about singing it there!
Leenz... we didn't sing it at the MTC, we sang it at home just before we left for the MTC... after we had our family prayer.
Thanx for this post Lesley. :o) We have sung it for YEARS and we first heard it from Auntie Bea.
It is fun when we sing it (G'Pa and I) and there are grandkids around. Everybody comes running to be included. I guess it automatically reminds us all that we are loved. :o)
Traditions don't get much better than that.
Love reading your post. It keeps me updated with your family. Love the pix of the grandkids.
I obviously read too quickly to realize you meant before you went to the MTC. :-)
By the way. Did you ever see THIS POST on my blog???
http://liliannielsen.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/all-love-together.html
Lilian, we would have sung it at the MTC, but if they spotted Jeff and me kissing at the end, I would have been sent home on the spot.
We sang this Monday night after our family prayer (after getting back from our vacation).
We sing this song w/ Mason, + Jeremy starts singing it if we ever start into a little argument. :)
My family used to sing the Primary song, "Let us gather in a circle" every night before bed + prayers, + we would all hold hands + swing our hands while we sang. I loved that tradition + also love "All Love Together. " :)
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