Music Moves Me

Music.  It's everywhere.  Everyday.  Around everyone.  Wherever you go there's music.  In the grocery store, at the office, in the mall, the doctor's office, in your car and even when you're placed on hold!  Music is in our lives all the time.  But have you ever thought about how it affects you?  How it moves you?  Lifts you or brings you down.  Pretty powerful stuff. 

Music has always been an intergral part of my life.  As a teenager I had a pretty large and diverse collection of albums.  Yes, albums.  Now I'm giving away my age!  I remember how certain songs coincided with my feelings (and it still does!).  A new song would play on the radio that perfectly reflected how I felt about a certain boy.  That song would become the theme song of my life!  And then when that boy didn't know that I existed, a new song would reflect my broken heart.  Sometimes when I hear those songs I can go back in time and relive it.

When I'm driving I always listen to the radio.  I have found music to be almost therapeutic when driving, especially during rush hour traffic.  There have been numerous occasions in my life where music has been helpful.  About five years ago my first husband suddenly passed away.  Needless to say I was devastated and grief stricken.  The first year was the most difficult.  Just getting through the day was challenging, especially during the first couple of months. 

The grief and pain overwhelmed me.  I was drowning in sorrow, and even anger.  I turned to my friends and family on a daily basis, as they offered support to me.  But sometimes talking wasn't enough.  Music.  Listening to music gave me hope.  If even for a short time, it painted a picture of sunshine and made me feel good.  More than anything, music gave me the best counseling.  It lifted my spirits and propelled me to go forward.  But while music could be uplifting, there were plenty of songs that would remind me of my dearly departed husband, and there the tears would follow and flood.

Sometimes I think we forget the power of music.  Its ability to lift us, move us, inspire us and just make us feel good.  Recently I just thought about how music helped me get through those first few horrible months after Mark died.  I even remember what I listened to; Basia.  She's a contemporary artist that sings mostly jazzy pop songs, and when I listen to her, which is frequently, I still feel that hope and inspiration take over me and bring a smile to my face.