Today I am thankful for music. There is something very therapeutic about great music – the way that it can soothe the mind, calm the soul, and minister to the spirit. I am not certain about other people, but music and I have a very special relationship. Music engages me when I need to be engaged, giving voice to the very sentiments for which I do not seem to have the words to express. Music can provide the “hug” that I need when I am having a rough day, the encouragement that is necessary when I need to evaluate things that are complicated or challenging, the “shoulder to lean on” when life seems to be a bit much and I need to regroup.
There are times when I hear certain songs either played on the radio, in public places while I am out and about, on my iPod, or in various other situations, and hearing those songs immediately brings memories and experiences to mind, causing me to be flooded by a sea of emotions ranging from happiness to sadness and whatever lies in between. And in those moments I think about the wonderful complexities of human beings who are able to be stopped in their tracks by a string of notes in harmony. It truly is an amazing thing.
And there are times when a song will play and I will realize that the song playing perfectly addresses whatever circumstances that I am facing in my life at that time. In times like those I cannot help but think about how wonderful it is that we human beings have the ability to express universal concepts which are often abstract via a medium that is capable of reaching the heart, mind and soul of others in a clear and perfect way.
I have loved and appreciated music for as long as I can remember; it has always been a part of me. This special attachment that music and I have to each other is part of the reason why I wish that I had continued to play musical instruments instead of making the decision to stop playing them as a child. It is why I am determined to resume playing instruments someday, though they will likely be different instruments than the ones that I played as a child.
No matter what happens, it is safe to say that music and I have a good thing going, and that that good thing is going to last for quite a while.
How about you? Do you and music share a special relationship? If so, how has that special relationship affected you? #lovebythedrop
love by the drop 