The Girl With The Voice

I found Birdie, as a baby, floating in a basket in the Missouri River floodwaters. That's the tale I have stirred up over the past 17 years. In reality, Birdie arrived in Room 5 of the St. Louis Jewish Hospital after some inducement and 12 hours of labor. From the start, she owned my heart. Her loud squalls in the cold delivery room hinted of her spirit. Birdie grew into a child who could holler; then into a girl who could chatter, chatter, chatter; and finally, into a teen who could sing. This week Birdie's solo performance of Sarah Barielle's Gravity kicked off the high school's spring concert. As her beautiful soprano wrapped around the lyrics and filled the gym with music, I experienced my Birdie with fresh eyes and ears. Dressed in concert black, a slight young woman stood on steady feet. With her posture, her eyes and her voice, she reached to her audience. Once again, she owned me.