Music and Sunshine

I’m watching my grandkids today and I’ve had enough of SpongeBob and Mario Brothers so I turned off the TV and am playing MY music. I am thankful I don’t need a cigarette or glass of wine to chill. Just music. 

I recently created a playlist called Waukegan. It is the music of my youth, the 60’s through August of 1977. That’s when  my family moved from Waukegan, IL, to Leo, IN. I was just entering my junior year of high school.

My life in Waukegan was distinctly different from my life in Leo. Two lifetimes of my many. I needed to create a Leo playlist which is a compilation of the late ‘70’s and 80’s. This playlist takes me through my early twenties. Lots of life packed in those years. The ‘70’s has some of the greatest music of all time. But, I admit, the 80’s were pretty good as well.

My Waukegan playlist currently holds 33 hrs, and 22 mins worth of music. That’s 547 songs to be exact. When I hear a song that takes me back to those carefree and formative years of my life, I add it to the playlist. But only if it truly means something to me. Much of the music in this playlist are songs and artists that my parents loved. I grew up in a house filled with music. I was blessed that way.

Sunshine on My Shoulders (John Denver) is playing as I begin to write this post. I absolutely love this song. It takes me back to those early years when I longed to be a free spirit. I thought if I had my own car (and could drive) I’d point that baby west and drive until I found love.

Peace, freedom, the beauty of our country, but mostly, love. Those are what I yearned for. The music of John Denver gave me such a sense of longing…and of belonging. I wanted to find myself…out there. Someplace far away and beautiful.

John Denver first inspired me to write back when I attended Jack Benny Junior High School for the 7th and 8th grades. I didn’t realize it at the time though that not only do I come from a long line of nappers, I also come from a long line of writers. So I was destined to write no matter what. Even if no one read a word of anything I wrote. I had to write.

Sunshine on My Shoulders is a special song to me. It isn’t just about the happiness the sun gives to us. It’s about giving joy and peace to others. Being someone’s sunshine.

~ Sunshine on My Shoulders ~

If I had a day that I could give you

I’d give to you the day just like today

If I had a song that I could sing for you

I’d sing a song to make you feel this way

If I had a tale that I could tell you

I’d tell a tale sure to make you smile

If I had a wish that I could wish for you

I’d make a wish for sunshine for all the while

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely

Sunshine almost all the time makes me high

Sunshine almost always…

I guess, realistically, music is about the equivalent of sunshine to me.☀️

My wish is that you are enjoying the sunshine today, whether by the warmth of the sun itself, or found in the comfort of music, meditation, art, or in the stillness of the moment.

♥️

Andi