A night out that actually felt like a night out...

Although it seems so strange for both June and I to do anything without Zo these days, the kind of thing that most new parents experience, when you stumble into a hot and crowded hall and see an artist like Corrine Bailey Rae transform herself from a shy and hesitant little waif of a woman into a smiling powerhouse of soulful song it's kind of easy to forget where your child is. It makes it easier that she's resting comfortably and happily in the care of her loving grandparents... who really would strangle us were we to steal away their Friday or Saturday night visits from the Zedder. You find yourself thanking your lucky stars that you've got that kind of support. I'd have died had I missed Corrine Bailey Rae so close to home.

The show was powerful and Rae was more magnetic than we had anticipated. We quickly forgot that on most nights we're trying to keep to a schedule... that 11pm is late, and 6 am isn't really all that early. We almost forgot who we were or where we were at. Corrine Bailey Rae was alluring and delightful in absolutely the strictest definitions of both. We stood happily engrossed for five hours and limped away smiling after Rae filled nearly two of those with a sweet and smiling, but oh-so sultry spectacle of soul and sincerity. She fidgeted and smiled nervously—a palpable discomfort that melted away each time she opened her mouth to lilt through gentle back and forth quips with the crowd or with surprisingly stirring songs . There were times we didn't even realize that we were standing next to one another.

By the end of the night all we could muster was a muted, "Wow," between us. We drove home draped in a kind of affectionate awe, and didn't miss Zo at all until we pulled into the drive. Leaving her has been difficult, certainly as difficult as any parent finds it to be, but nights like this help you to be mindful that no matter what the product of the equation our family is, that sometimes it's just a nice thing to find one plus one equaling two, not three. We certainly don't hesitate to leave her, and haven't, not since the very start, but you forget how woven she is into your every emotion. The very fabric of your personality changes so completely with a child. It used to be that the definition of "us" was so small, and now it feels so very big. We missed her last night, but reassuringly not for one entire two hour stretch of amazingness. BTW, I know that's not a word.


Don't know much about Corinne Bailey Rae? Check her out here on Q with CBC's Jian Ghomeshi. It's a great interview.