_edited_.jpg)
“Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it.” ~ Stevie Wonder
I have recently been pushing myself to get out and hit the pavement. Some days I run, other days I power walk. There are days when I like to be in silence and just take in the sounds of the world around me: birds, traffic and my heavy breathing. Silence is also great when I want to connect with God. But my favorite times are when I’m enjoying my workout playlist, with songs that push me to get through one more block, or one more mile! I have learned to appreciate many genres of music over the years and my workout mix is a reflection of that, with a blend of upbeat music where each song tells a story. A story of a particular time in my life or a special memory.
A song comes on and takes me back to my childhood. Memories pop up in my head of riding in our camper (up on the top bunk looking out the window, above the cab of the truck), singing the same song over and over and laughing with a friend. Thinking back to my pre-teen self, I wonder if I really knew what the folk lyrics meant at the time. The stories the songs told transported me into the scene being played in the lyrics, As a proclaimed dreamer, I still get excited hearing these songs.
Another song comes on and takes me to my high school days. I had some good times in high school, but I sure didn’t make the most of the time. I was too consumed with boyfriends to really get involved with activities. However, I love the songs that bring me back to a girlfriend’s living room where we made up choreographed dances. Mostly I remember a song for the boyfriend I’m reminded of. The memories make me smile as I think of who I was back then (or who I thought I was), not really knowing much about anything. Oh, high-school-self, “You had no clue!”.
There are also songs where I feel a clenched hold on my heart. Those songs make me want to drop down on my knees and thank God for all the blessings I have in my life, including all the blessings that came out of the struggles. Like most, I have had my share of heartbreaks and struggles as an adult, but each of those are a part of who I am today. I like to think that I am a stronger and wiser woman for those struggles. Music got me through those struggles! These songs fill me with a lot of emotions that I want to feel and not push away, and then celebrate how far I’ve come.
My kids all had “their song” that seemed to be their childhood ballads. When those songs come on, the beautiful memories of each of them growing up fill my heart with joy and my eyes with tears. I smile and wipe away the tears realizing how proud I am of each of my kids and the independent lives they are building for themselves. I love seeing how my grown children share the love of music.
My quintessential favorite songs are those that take me back to when my husband and I first started dating. The songs we’d crank up on the FM dial and that he would sing to me. I still get butterflies thinking about it and hearing those songs. It brings back a flood of emotions as I realize how far we’ve come over the last 25 years - with all of life's up and downs and twists and turns. These songs encapsulate who we are as a couple and all the love we still share.
Music. It’s an art meant to evoke emotion and trigger memories. It’s no surprise that there are numerous studies and research that shows the beneficial effects of music on mental and physical health. I can attest to the emotional healing as there are so many songs that have got me through troubled times. I use music to keep me moving and encouraging me through life’s good times and bad. The icing on the cake is the special memories the music fosters in me and the joy I experience over and over again, each time I hear one of these special songs.
“Where words fail, music speaks.” ~ Hans Christian Andersen