The soundtrack of my life.

Life happens in a heartbeat – with all of its highs, lows, and instances in between. Whether it be due to a shift in the cosmos or some other source at play, life can be heart wrenching, intoxicating, joyful, and just plain amazing. Think of your favourite stage production or movie. Think of the subtext or in simpler terms, what lay beneath the plot lines of it all. Likewise, for many of us, music can be the force which helps guide and direct our stories.

I’ve at times wondered what the soundtrack of my life, if printed on liner notes, would look like. There are some bands and artists I’ve loved for as long as I can remember. The Beatles, The Carpenters, and The Doors, and Pearl Jam, for example, have been a part of me for as long as I can remember.  There are songs I am a little embarrassed to say I have on my playlist. (“Groove is in the Heart”, anyone?) And then there is my appreciation for Slipknot that would definitely not be associated with this dress and pearl wearing short-haired Junior High teacher from a small northern mining town. 

Just as the beating of a human heart, the melodies and tempos of a favourite song can have a way of getting the blood to flow through one’s system. Songs, like familiar scents, can trigger memories of people and places gone past. Any song of Jim Reeves, a favourite of my late father, causes a knot size lump in my throat, misty eyes, and an ache in my heart. Del Shannon’s “Little Runaway”, a much loved song of my late mother’s when she was a teenager, pretty well elicits the same response. “Bother” by Stone Sour brings to mind my daughter’s infancy and how she’d cry inconsolably. Pearl Jam’s “Spin the Black Circle” reminds me of her toddler days and how she’d dance feverishly. The Beatles “Yellow Submarine” album brought a glorious few days of uninterrupted sleep for my son, in his crib no less, when he was around a year old. (This was nothing short of a miracle of sorts as he’d co-slept with his Dad and me.) I also have fond memories of him as a seven month old wiggling to the beat of Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke”. Memories of my children through various ages and stages are endless.

Favourite childhood lullabies and tunes qualify here as well. “Lavender’s Blue” is one I recall humming or singing softly to my children. My maternal grandmother used to enjoy singing “The Baby’s Dance” or “Two Little Blue Little Shoes” to her many grand and great-grandchildren. I still recall her gravelly voice as she got further on in years. I could easily go on to give you something as lengthy as a grocery list detailing the songs I know and love and the memories they elicit. 

From weddings, funerals, proms, daily life, and just about any other event and milestone in between, life is beautiful.  Listen to the music, play the tunes, and sing the melodies that bring a smile to your face, put a bounce in your step, and allow you to hold memories close to your heart.