The carnival was over, well the Australia day festivities were over! The leftovers from the barbecue were tucked away into the fridge and all the guests had gone, even the ones who had held out to the very last, and even Ron (the young American who looks like Jeff Goldblum) who stayed on for a bit of karaoke fun; and even my niece, Loretta (who has her own house now), had to tear herself away. So at last, we were down to just the three of us – my brother, Bill, my nephew, Will, and little old me…

It was past ten o’clock – late for people who get up at five in the morning – but Will had just put on his favourite karaoke compilation and we couldn’t bear to retire to bed without singing “Morning has Broken”, then “The Sounds of Silence”, then…. well you get the picture. Bill didn’t want a microphone, he preferred to lie in his comfy recliner while Will and I sang the golden oldies. We must have sounded alright because Bill soon fell asleep.

William put down his microphone and joined me on the sofa. The song, “Sunshine On My Shoulders” came on and I didn’t think I knew it so I offered the microphone to my nephew.

“No, you sing,” he said.

The song came back to me and I could see John Denver’s face in my mind’s eye. The words were happy but the tune was sad; and I thought about John Denver’s premature demise in a plane crash; and the words made me think about sunshine on my shoulders – about my being in my homeland of Australia…

“I feel like crying,” I admitted to Will.

“So do I,” said my twenty-five year old nephew.

“You’re so soulful,” I responded, “maybe that’s why I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” he said.

And I ran my hand through his hair (as aunties are apt to do), and I sang a few more songs, and now it’s time for bed. I’ll leave you with the lyrics of the song and wish you a sunny day wherever you may be.