IrishLuckyLass posted this on her blog and boy did it inspire a post for me! lol
This is a different version of the song, but I seriously don't think I could listen to the John Denver version. I'd be a sobbing mess. lol.
My mother left my father when I was about 8 years old. My brother was 6 or 7 and my sister was about 5. We all lived in Iowa on a farm and my mom, having had enough of being in a crappy relationship with a cheating husband and practically nonexistent father, packed us up and moved us back to Boston. We took a train.
We stayed with numerous family members until my mom could get a job and get on her feet. When we first moved back, I can remember me, my brother and my sister all curled up in one bed and we were missing our Daddy. We were laying in bed, holding on to each other, crying and singing this song together. We believed our Daddy loved us and we believed our Daddy missed us too. We grew up and realized how very wrong we were. Our father may have loved us then and he may have missed us….but he found a new family to replace us. A new woman to love and 3 new kids to love and adore. In the rare times I have spoke to him since my mom left him, he claims that he has missed us every day of his life. I find this hard to believe and frankly, I don't care. Actions speak louder than words and the man never attempted to be a part of our lives. Now, having children myself…I can't fathom it. I can't imagine never having anything to do with your children. But maybe the reason why I can't fathom it is because it was done to me. Who knows…..and I really don't care anymore. I mean, it's something I'll always wish I had had, a father…but it's not something I ever dwell on. I think when I'm going to have a problem with this is if something happens to him and we are not mentioned in his will. If he leaves us no letter or pictures or anything, just something that tells us he cared…that is when it will be tough, I think. I try to brace myself for this to happen because my mom says he's not the kind of guy to face the fact that he will die one day and prepare for it, but even still….I know that is going to hurt like hell. It just will be the final confirmation that half of what made us…didn't care about us…at all. Really, I should get a book on how to deal with that..there's got to be a book or something. lol.
Anyway…to this day…when I hear this song a sob creeps up into my throat and the tears come to my eyes and it's a struggle not to cry. Especially the John Denver version.
I have quite a few songs that do this, for various different situations or eras of my life and every time it just amazes me how a song can bring me back to a memory and make me feel exactly what I felt then..and this song makes me miss my brother and sister so bad, it aches…it makes me want to gather them up and tell them I am so sorry that our Dad didn't care….it makes me want to tell them how proud of them I am…and finally…it makes me wonder why…
Why on earth would a man choose to not be a part of his children's lives?
It's something I'll never understand…..
Anyway, here's the lyrics….
Leaving on a Jet Plane
By John Denver
All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go.
I'm standing here outside your door,
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye.
But the dawn is breaking, it's early morn.
The taxi's waiting, he's blowing his horn,
Already I'm so lonesome I could cry.
So kiss me and smile for me,
Tell me that you'll wait for me,
Hold me like you'll never let me go.
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again –
Oh Babe, I hate to go.
There's been so many times I've let you down,
and so many times I've played around,
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing.
Every place I go, I'll think of you,
Every song I sing, I'll sing for you,
When I come back, I'll wear your wedding ring.
So kiss me and smile for me,
Tell me that you'll wait for me,
Hold me like you'll never let me go.
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again –
Oh Babe, I hate to go.
Now the time has come to leave you,
One more time let me kiss you,
Then close your eyes, and I'll be on my way.
Dream about the days to come.
When I won't have to leave alone,
About the times I won't have to say …
Kiss me and smile for me,
Tell me that you'll wait for me,
Hold me like you'll never let me go.
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again –
Oh Babe, I hate to go.
Anything But Gray 
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