Day Fifteen

Go Tell it on the Mountain.

The very first year that Paul was really involved in Children’s Choir at First Baptist Oklahoma City they sang the hymn “Go Tell It on the Mountain” at Christmas time for one of the Sunday morning services, and also at their Christmas Concert. That year it was Paul’s favorite Christmas song. Whenever it came on the radio, he sang along, quietly, because he didn’t want anyone to hear him singing it, but he liked to sing it.

The next year they sang “Little Drummer Boy” and that was his favorite Christmas song. I figured that whatever song Miss Cathy picked for them would be his favorite that year. As it turns out I was wrong. Those two are his favorites year after year. Sunday night as I was tucking the boys into bed “Little Drummer boy” was playing on the radio. I made the comment to Matthew that it was Paul’s favorite. Paul was quick to correct me, that really “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is his true favorite. That was upsetting to Matthew because he was certain he had never heard that song before. Matthew demanded that Paul sing it to him NOW.

I was certain that this demand would lead to the usual fighting that ended with pronouncements that they hated one another. I was wrong. Paul took a deep breath and lying on the bottom bunk sang the first verso of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” for his brother. For just a few minutes it was quiet in there and I thought, "What a sweet gift." Paul will barely sing loud enough for me to hear him standing next to him in church, but he did a fine job singing for his brother.

Then Matthew accused Paul of not knowing the rest, and Paul yelled at him to shut up and leave him alone so he could sleep, and it went downhill from there. But for a minute it was really sweet.