The Power of a Sign

On Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the Utah Birth Defect Network Conference. The keynote speaker was Rachel Coleman. For those who may or may not know her, she is the daughter of the popular LDS vocal artist Lex de Azevedo. Music was a big part of her life, including being in a band and producing a CD. But the music stopped when her only daughter was one year old and they discovered she was completely deaf, she wondered how she could keep the music going when Leah could not access that part of our language. Her and her husband set about to become fluent in ASL. When Leah was three years old they decided to have another child. During an ultrasound they found out Lucy had spina bifida. She was able to have the surgery to fix Lucy's spine while in utero. When Lucy turned two years old, she was told that Lucy had cerebral palsy as well as might be mentally retarded. During this time her and her sister co-create the ever popular public television series "Signing Time." It was originally started to make videos to help others be able to communicate with Leah. Rachel, Leah, and Rachel's nephew Alex, who learned ASL as an infant, star in the series. Her sister asked her to write the theme song, she hadn't written a song since Leah was one years old. She picked up her guitar and took Lucy in the other room with her and came out 20 minutes later having written two songs. The first in the actual themesong and the second she wrote for Lucy, that she titled "Show Me a Sign" wanting Lucy to prove the doctors wrong and let her know there was life in this broken body of hers. The lyrics to the song are below.



"Show me a sign" written for Lucy by Rachel Coleman
How are you doing little one?
My little one, my little one
I’d like to know what’s on your mind
Our days together, time together
You and me, our one on one
These are the times that make me smile
You make me smile
Tell me that you love me
Tell me that you’re thinking of me
Tell me all about the things you’re thinking
Day and night, both day and night
Tell me that you’re happy
And you love it when we’re laughing
Tell me more, oh, tell me more, show me a sign
Show me a sign
Every day you grow up more
And teach me more about what I’m here for
And every day I love you more
I love you more. I love you!
Tell me that you love me
Tell me that you’re thinking of me
Tell me all about the things you’re thinking
Day and night, both day and night
Tell me that you’re happy
And you love it when we’re laughing
Tell me more, oh, tell me more show me a sign
Show me a sign—show me a sign—show me a sign.

She sang this song and I just cried, I am a baby I couldn't help it, but one of the greatest gifts that I could recieve is to be able to communicate with my sweet Caleb. His desire is there, I just need to find the magic key to open that magic part of his brain. But miracles do happen and Rachel and her husband received one with their daughter Lucy, she learned to sign and eventually talk, use her power wheelchair and walk with a walker. So heres to keep on keeping on and hope for the best.