49 reasons...

Its great how songs secure some memories for us. Songs don’t just serve as background to me, they are a piece of the memory or thought process. I’ve always thought that music is a language and some people are gifted with delivering it, as my daughter Lindsey is, and the rest of us, well, we get to receive it.

Not a musician but appreciative of music and musical gifts and talents, I have a lot of songs that remind me of things, or events. I'm sure you do, too. Or things remind me of songs. Not too long ago, my husband and I were driving along and listening to Crosby, Stills and Nash. Before Young...you know the album. As we rode along and I sang along to all the songs, he seemed surprised. He said “You know all the words to this album?” “Well, yeah, of course.” came my reply, and was equally surprised that he was surprised. Was it because we didn’t know each other then? That we have a hard time picturing each other during that time of our lives that it surprised him that I would know? I was in California for goodness sakes! Of course I know those songs!

Anyway, my sister and I use to sit in our bedroom and play that album over and over and over. Sister harmony is the best. Neither she nor I were great singers but we could sing together because, well, we just could. Or at least we believed we could. We had a floor length mirror at the foot of the bed we shared in the apartment in San Francisco. We would sit on the floor, facing the mirror, backs against the end of the bed and could prop our feet against the wall, if we needed to stretch out. We would hold the album between us while memorizing the lyrics and sing. And sing. And sing. Too young to date, and in a new place, we’d spend a LOT of time together. Sometimes we’d look in the mirror, at ourself or each other, and sometimes we would avoid looking.

I am truly thankful for people who have the gift of music. Whether its writing it, or singing it or playing it. I have always thought of music as the language of the world. Yes, I know all the words to all the songs on that great album, and lots of others, too. He's in for a real treat when I break out Janis Joplin....