Music

Isn’t it awesome how just hearing a song from the past can take you back to an exact time in your life? Isn’t it awesome how hearing a sad song can take you down an emotional landslide and with it your mood…and to the opposite effect, hearing an old favorite can turn your bad day into an exceptionally happy one, as you sing out loud, move to the beat, and forget your troubles, even if only for the length of the song…one cannot deny…music is powerful !!!

One of the first songs that I recall as a child takes me back to a time when we were making trips from the lake to Columbia for my Dad’s radiation treatments. My Mom and Dad would both sing, “You are my Sunshine”, including a seldom heard second verse that is nothing less than depressing, but as a child, I loved the song regardless – “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you’ll never know Dear, how much I love you, please don’t take my sunshine away. (2nd verse) The other night Dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms, but when I woke dear, I was mistaken, so I hung my head and I cried”

I can remember singing to the radio with my Mom in the car and she’d cry over sad songs which made me cry too. During church I remember sitting next to Mom and singing from old hymn books wasn’t my favorite thing to do at that time in my life (not my style of music), but as I got older couldn’t wait to sing those same songs, and to this day, are some of my fondest memories of being with my Mom. My Dad took me to see Porter Waggoner because he planned to sing my favorite song was, “On the road again”. It was another favorite as we drove. Dad would sing to my Mom as he came in for dinner, “ Hey good looking, what cha’ got cookin’, how’s about cooking something up for me !!” Don’t ask…just some childhood music memories.

Today, music constantly flows throughout our household. Either radio blasting, mp3 on repeat, kids songs on tv, Billy playing guitar, or worst case scenario…me belting out crazy songs to the kids or trying to sing along with the radio. Blake’s playstation karaoke booed me off stage and told me to go home, but I had fun !!
I am happy that the kids love music the way I do. I love so many different types that my kids like it ALL !!! Billy can tolerate “most” of my music, but he usually turns of the CD player when I break out my old school hip hop, dance, or rap stuff…can’t help it once in a while !!! This post came about because last night the kids and I went downstairs, jammed to some awesome jazz while dancing and pretending to play different instruments, it was sooo much fun and it made me think how important music is in our lives!