Sing Me a Song

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

~Berthold Auerbach

I'm sure I've said it before, but music is the backdrop to my life. When I'm sad, it either helps me cry or lifts me up. And when I'm happy, it helps me laugh and dance. It only takes a few chords of a song or a phrase from something to transport me back to an exact moment in time

This last weekend my friend and I helped a local spot called OHMS celebrate 30 years of business.. all of which we've spent going there. It's a special place for so many reasons. It's the place we went in college to listen to our friends' bands - and the place we started going for grown up lunches after we graduated. As we grew up, so did it. The decor got fancier, the food options expanded, and the bar became a great place to hang out for happy hour. Now we go most Thursdays and try to hash out this weird existence we were dealt when our husbands died.

We've celebrated birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and personal successes in that place. We've cried over loss, cried over love, and healed wounds there. So getting some of those old bands together and helping them celebrate was a no brainer. We had to do it - and we were lucky to have some great friends ready to play the night away.

Let me tell you - a walk down memory lane was exactly what I needed.

One of the bands that played was The Cleavers. Not only did I go to college with them, but they were my people. We spent so many hours together at parties, hanging out, and watching them play. They literally provided the music that plays in my head when I think of those years

And it only took getting them to come to town and play for allll the people of our past to show up. Every time I turned around, there was another friend I hadn't seen in ten or more years. Somehow I remained astonished every time another blast from my past came around the corner or stopped me to say hello.

Each friend I saw made my heart just a little bit lighter. Any problems or anxiety I might have had just went away. (One of the hardest things in the last few years is managing how people might react when they see me. It's stressful!)

We stayed up WAY too late, drank enough to make us pretty punchy, and reminisced while making a few new memories.

We me each other's children (some) and a few of them met each other, and for just a few hours I was 23 again....without any real care in the world.
I remembered who I was then - and I was thankful that I had people around me who also remembered. We definitely missed quite a few key players - but overall it was an incredible night of all the old crew.

Live music always makes me happy. But live music by the people I love makes it even better. I hope we all do a better job of staying in touch now - and maybe make a whole lot of new memories we never saw coming.

In the meantime, I'll give you a playlist of songs that are high on my list right now.. go listen!

Charee's Current Playlist:

Good Ol Boys Like Me by Don Williams - For my daddy.

I Remember Everything by John Prine - Somehow this one gets me every time.

Oh L'amour by Erasure - For Kerry.

Just Remember I Love you by Firefall - I mean...I was a young child in the 70s and love this one.

Feathered Indians by Tyler Childers Sadie said everyone loves this one. She almost shamed me for adding it.

Naked by James Arthur  - Pretty much anything he sings speaks to me. 

Own Roses by Nikita Karmen - For Sadie

Where I Find God by Larry Fleet On repeat for months.

Fire of Time by David Ramirez - A new one in my collection (Thanks, Kyle.)

Do You Believe by The Cleavers - Listen to all their songs!