I was 14 years old when the Robbins Music Corporation of New York City received a copyright in 1936 for the song "While Strolling Through The Park One Day." Most seniors will remember it by its more popular name "In The Merry Month Of May." In the golden years of sheet music, during which Robbins Music Corporation was a major player, this song finally made its way into a song book called "Fifty Famous Favorites."

Published in 1942, this new song book is described as being bound in colorful "Duro-Style" cover for more durable use in the home, schools, assemblies, libraries, fraternities, camps, civic and recreational groups. In addition to the "Fifty Famous Favorites", there were also fifty other songs simply called favorites, all of this for the price of 3 5 cents.

Baby Boomers and members of Generation X are likely to find this kind of information mildly entertaining or slightly humorous, but seniors, especially elderly seniors, take it very
seriously because they have many happy memories of their own stroll in the park; memories of an exciting ride on a bicycle built for two; a slow pleasure ride in a rowboat on some small city park lake. We enjoyed all of these activities because we had not yet been exposed to the more sophisticated and more expensive life style of younger generations.

In addition to its nostalgic value, this song pays tribute to one ofthe most enjoyable months of the year. I cannot recall any other month being called merry. I cannot imagine February being called merry, I cannot imagine August being called merry. But it is normal and natural for the month of May to be called merry. Sing along as we review the words:

While strolling through the park one day In the merry month of May;
I was taken by surprise
By a pair of roguish eyes.
In the merry month of May

In a moment my poor heart was stolen away. A smile was all she gave to me.
Of course we were as happy as can be.
I immediately raised my hat,

And finally she remarked:
I shall never forget that lovely afternoon I met her at the fountain in the park.

The beauty of this 1936 song is to be found in its simplicity. There is no wasting of words: boy meets girl; girl smiles; boy's heart is touched leaving them with a lasting memory of meeting each other by the fountain in the park.

And it should be no surprise that it all happened in the wonderful, merry month of May. May seems to have that kind of mystical power and influence. Springtime has awakened the slumbering human psyche from its winter doldrums. In fact, it is reasonable to believe that the month of May is nature's remedy for anxiety and melancholy. We are now ready to call the Month of May nature's most powerful anti-depressant.

But wait - there are more accolades for this 5th month of the year. May has been honored by being chosen to host one our most cherished days of celebration - Mother's Day.
It is nostalgia time again as we return to our 1942 song book of "Fifty Famous Favorites". F or seniors, the song that stands at the top of the list of all time favorite songs honoring motherhood has to be the 1915 song simply called M-O-T-H-E-R

"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"0" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears that were shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold,
"E" is for her eyes with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be.
Put them altogether they spell "MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.

I have a suggestion for younger readers of this column who may be looking for an appropriate gift to give to your mother on Mother's Day. How about surprising her by singing this time honored song to her - or at least reading the words to her with a special emphasis on the last line: "Put them altogether they spell "MOTHER," a word that means the world to me.

This wonderful month of May is a treasure-trove of opportunities to give expression to the deeper feelings of the heart. First there is Mother's Day on May 8th and on May 30th we celebrate Memorial Day. And in between, on May 21st, the nation observes Armed Forces Day.

Memorial Day has a revealing and colorful history. The Encarta Encyclopedia gives us an interesting account of the developing events, both traditional and legal, that has resulted in our present day celebration of Memorial Day. The account reads as follows:

"Memorial Day, legal holiday, observed annually on the last Monday in May in most of the United States, in honor ofthe nation's armed services personnel killed in wartime. The holiday, originally called Decoration Day, is traditionally marked by parades, memorial speeches and ceremonies, and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags, hence the original name.

"Memorial Day was first observed on May 30th, 1868 on the order of General John Alexander Logan for the purpose of decorating the graves of the Civil War dead. It was observed on May 30th until 1971, when most states changed to a newly established federal schedule of holiday observance.

"Confederate Memorial Day, formally a legal holiday in many southern states, is still observed on the fourth Monday in April in Alabama, the last Monday in April in Mississippi, and April 26th in Florida and Georgia."

This unique month of May now gives us the opportunity to do in a collective way what we often fail to do individually - that is, pay tribute to those who have made the supreme sacrifice. So, May is unique because it offers us both the joy associated with Mother's Day and the sadness associated with Memorial Day. It is a reflection of the nature oflife itself with its high moments of happiness and its low moments of sorrow and sadness.

But wait - there is one more day to be added to the happiness side of the month of May that helps to qualify it as being a merry month. May is the month of my wedding anniversary. On May 30, 1942 , Doris and I were married in the city of my birth place, Wichita, Kansas. How lucky can a young man get? He was fortunate enough to marry an attractive southern girl from Central Louisiana who was smart enough to address any gathering of people as "you all" instead of "you guys." In addition we were married on Memorial Day which enabled me to never forget the date of my wedding anniversary. How lucky can a young man get?