@WOWFactsOfLife: When you're happy, you enjoy the music. When you're sad, you understand the lyrics.
My
wife's birthday is a few days after EmC's. The year Em was born my wife
didn't feel much like celebrating amongst all the chaos we were going
through. But I and a few of her friends convinced her that we should go
out for her birthday. It was the first time we would leave the hospital
and our first appearance publicly since Em (still not named) was born.
The venue was a small trendy chocolatarie. What better place to
celebrate, it was also Lounge Piano night. These event are
really fun, it's a big sing-a-long. The pianist plays favorites like
"Sweet Caroline" and "Rocket Man". He may even play some top 40 songs
set to lounge tunes.
Perhaps he got a sense
that our moods were not as chipper as the rest of the crowd. He finish a
song and then singled out my wife, "this one goes out to the birthday
girl." Then he started "Smile though your heart is aching, smile even
though it's breaking...." (Nat King Cole).
We
all have songs that we have connected with regardless of the intended
meaning of the artist. They are part of the sound track of your life,
your infinite playlist.
Some of these songs we
need to hear to help us heal. Other songs may be needed to say the
words when we can't find them. Some just to know there is someone out
there that maybe, just maybe, can relate. While there are some songs we
can't get through a day without, there are also songs, like the one
mentioned above, we hope to never hear again...
The following are just a few of the songs that are on my infinite playlist solely because of what I call The EmC Effect.
When
Emily was born there was one one song that I seemed to get played over
and over; Rihanna's "we found a love in a hopeless place". When the song
plays on the radio now, I am reminded of the daily drive to and from
the hospital during EmC's 6 week stay in the NICU.
Earlier
in 2011 the Foo Fighters released the album "Wasting Light" and songs
from the album were released thereafter. Released on Nov 1, 2011 (EmC's
birthday) was "These days". This was exactly how I felt when friends
try to offer words of support because they think silence is somehow not
enough. "It's alright". Then they get to go home. "Easy for you to say".
I
clung to the Foo-Fighters because they have so much emotion in their
songs. They go from calm and collected to over the top anger in one
breath.
When your significant other cries
at night asking "why me?" "How did this
happen?" "Why are we doing this?" And you can't answer or find the words
to comfort. You can always turn to Jack Johnson "No other Way". "When
your mind is a mess, so is mine..."
Jack Johnson
is an amazing songwriter. I currently listen to the album "sleep
through the static" a lot. I recommend a listen. The opening line in
the first song is "All at once, the world can overwhelm me..."
When
you start to notice your child's delays despite hours of intervention
or when someone tells you "you are expecting too much" sing this song to
your child before bed "I won't give up" by Jason Mraz.
And
finally when your are ready to stop playing the victim and try to take
control of you life again turn to The Foo Fighters "Walk"
"To keep alive, a moment at a time.
But still inside, a whisper to a riot.
The sacrifice, but knowing to
survive.
At first decline, another state of
mind...."
or The Bleachers "I wanna Get Better"
"Woke
up this morning early before my family,
from this dream where she was trying to show me,
how a life can move from the darkness.
She said to get better..."
from this dream where she was trying to show me,
how a life can move from the darkness.
She said to get better..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5osPtE7kXI
My infinite playlist is obviously much longer than what I have posted here. The following are some home made videos of what happens when I set my life to music. Enjoy.
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