SWAC Niece ... "The Rain, the Park, and Other Things/Flower Girl"

SWAC Niece, that delightful child who is my sister's daughter and who has held a special place in my heart since she was born, surprised me today.

She had been outdoors with my kids -- her cousins -- in a yard that was a riot of color with blooming trees, bushes, and flowers. She bounced back in the door and across the room to give me a big hug and, as I wrapped my arms around her, I noticed a flower blossom in her hair. Reaching up to pull it out, I softly sang, "Flowers in her hair ... flowers everywhere ... I love the flower girl...."

To my utter amazement, SWAC Niece began to sing with me! I was flashing back to my youth and a 1967 song called, "The Rain, the Park, and Other Things/Flower Girl" that sold over a million copies sung by a family group called The Cowsills ... and this modern-day 14-year-old was singing the lyrics with me. I was flabbergasted and asked, "How in the world do you know that song?"

She laughed and headed to the family room, retrieved her iPod, found that very song, stuck one ear bud in my ear and one in hers, and the Cowsills began singing "Flower Girl" ... and we two crazy girls began singing right along with them, swaying back and forth to the music, waving our arms in the air ... like I said -- two crazy girls having fun -- singing the lyrics, "And I knew (I knew, I knew, I knew, I knew), she could make me happy (happy, happy)...."

Who would ever have thought SWAC Niece would know the song that I remembered from so many years ago -- the original version, no less? Amazing.