If I Only Had a Brain

Ever since she was born, I sang songs to my daughter, Margareta. I had my short list of favorites, and would sing them usually to get her settled down to sleep, but over time I would sing to her throughout the day whenever the moment struck me. I even added my own lyrics to the french song “Alouette” that I had learned as a child to make a song about how much I loved her.

As soon as she could talk, Margareta loved to sing herself. She had a knack for memorizing lyrics, even at the tender ages of two and three. In the car, we would sing songs together, and the second a song was over she would ask for me to sing another one. She did this so often, I even came up with a song called “One more song, Mama”.

Margareta’s older brother, Andrew, also loves to sing. He too had started singing from a very young age. Starting in third grade, Andrew began performing in musicals – either through summer camps or at school. As a result, he would be practicing his songs at home and Margareta would do her best to learn them as well. Because she couldn’t read, this meant just listening to him sing over and over and memorizing what she heard. It led to some funny interpretations sometimes.

The songs she learned from her brother that stick out in my memory are “Iowa Stubborn” and “Gary, Indiana” from The Music Man, and later on “If I Only Had a Brain” from the Wizard of Oz. Of course, she only learned parts of the songs, but the parts she sang, she sang with purpose and gusto – as if she were going to be up on that stage herself.

The song she learned from her brother the best was “If I Only Had a Brain”. She memorized three quarters of the song and sang it over and over again. In perfect pitch, I might add. It became her favorite song. We often talked of Margareta and Andrew ending up singing in a band together. A dream that can never come true.

Andrew sang “If I Only Had a Brain” for his sister at her memorial service with tears in his eyes. It will now forever be the song that reminds me of my little girl who loved to sing.

Submitted by Maria Kubitz in loving memory of her daughter, Margareta.