Saint Cecilia. The patron saint of music. I pictured my unborn daughter as a college student casually strumming a guitar at a party. I imagined her singing a solo in her elementary school play, wowing the crowd with her otherworldly voice. Not that I would be disappointed if none of these scenarios came to fruition, but they were nice daydreams to get me through my weekly faculty meetings. Then Cecilia was born, and for a moment, it seemed as if all of those dreams were at once so much more important than I had ever realized, and at the same time hopelessly and irretrievably lost. I was sad, both for my daughter and for myself, at the thought that she wouldn’t get to experience these musical moments, and more generally, I wondered about the connection she and I would have. Then, slowly, it happened. I began to realize that Cecilia was already musically gifted and that the spirit of her namesake was indeed already working within her. It sounds trite, but she really has taught my heart to sing with more fervor and pride than I could ever have thought possible. Each morning when I greet her for the day, her smile fills my soul with the happiest tune you could ever imagine, and every evening, when I see her inch closer to the next milestone, I can’t help but cheer her on with a little melody. Cecilia is herself an instrument, and she manifests her music in love, inspiration and understanding. Saint Cecilia. The patron saint of music.