Tuesday Tunes: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”

Editor’s Note: Song lyrics denoted in bold italics.


Summertime always makes me think about summers long ago, especially all the family vacations we used to take. All this reminiscing, though? It can sometimes really get to me, and it’s times like these, during the end of the summer, when all those memories really kick in.

Of course, there’s one vacation that stands out in my mind — well, I suppose it’s more of a destination, really. It stood as my own version of Disneyland because for us, it really was the happiest place on earth. And magical and carefree and the perfect place to spend my childhood summers.

Alabama…

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”
From One More From The Road

It did feel like a sweet home, indeed. With my grandparents, spending days just relaxing — it was back in those before life got complicated and moved faster than a roller coaster. I didn’t know it at the time, naturally, but those days really had a hand in helping me become the person I am today.

Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the south-land
I miss ‘ole’ ‘bamy once again
And I think it’s a sin, yes

Although I technically didn’t “grow up” in the South, I still feel like a part of me was raised there. Even driving down there was exciting — we’d see the landscape slowly begin to change and our would begin to beat just a little faster. We may have been miles and miles from home, but we were also going home. In a sense, going South was like going home. It was a place where I felt so comfortable and all my worries seemed to vanish instantly. And, yes, we also sang “Dixie” numerous times during those car rides.

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I’m coming home to you

I know this all sounds like one giant walk through the poppies a la The Wizard of Oz and maybe it’s true that we do tend to romanticize the past, especially our childhoods, but this was really how everything felt. The skies really were an brilliantly deep shade of blue and the trees stood tall, green and majestic against that extra-blue sky. Even though I haven’t been there in almost a decade, I can still see those trees and that sky — with picture-perfect clarity. The way it all looked. The way it smelled, especially after the rain. Even the way the trees swayed in the breeze. It’s all part of those memories in my head that I like to revisit so often.

Because like most things in life, time moves far too fast and those special, life-defining moments can be all too short and fleeting. So we try as hard as we can to hold onto the memories we make because in the end, that’s really all we have. We’d better cherish them, right?? xoxo

Tuesday Tunes: Rod Stewart’s “Forever Young”

Editor’s Note: Song lyrics denoted in bold italics.

Growing up, my sister and I would go through these music phases. We went through a Beatles phase. Then a Simon & Garfunkel phase. There was even a Partridge Family obsession, though that one was pretty much all me.

As we got a bit older, we refined our tastes a bit, and pretty soon, we were obsessed with a certain British musician. He seemed hip and worldly, like he’d seen life and really experienced it, you know? Not to mention the fact that he wasn’t afraid to be himself. It was all quite intoxicating, to say the least.

Rod Stewart’s “Forever Young”
From Out of Order

It’s funny because I hadn’t thought of Mr. Stewart for several years. The more I thought about that song, the more the lyrics just kept looping through my mind. Honestly, the song perfectly encapsulates so much about my life and who I am; it’s easy to see how much of a theme it is for my life. The perfect new theme song? I think so.

On the way home from lunch on my birthday, we heard “Forever Young” on the radio and I realized I’d found a new theme song. That’s how I want to live my life — maybe it was a message from my father? Either way, it was the perfect end to a really great day!!!

May the good Lord be with you
Down every road you roam
And may sunshine and happiness
Surround you when you’re far from home
And may you grow to be proud
Dignified and true
And do unto others
As you’d have done to you
Be courageous and be brave
And in my heart you’ll always stay
Forever Young, Forever Young
Forever Young, Forever Young

Maybe I was just overly emotional with it being my birthday and all, but as I sat there in the backseat of our car, those words just cut me like a knife. It was like all these conversations I always thought I’d have with my father. Only now, I’ll never get to have those conversations. For so long, I thought about all the things I’d say to him if I had the chance, but I never gave much thought to all the things he might want to tell me. Maybe part of that had to do with my anger, but as that anger disappears, my perspective seems to be changing as well.


May good fortune be with you
May your guiding light be strong
Build a stairway to heaven
With a prince or a vagabond

I can just picture my father giving me all sorts of advice, just like he used to. He was always so fond of telling stories and imparting wisdom, and I miss his presence so much, looking over my shoulder and encouraging me onward. He was, as you can probably guess, the ultimate cheerleader.


And when you finally fly away
I’ll be hoping that I served you well
For all the wisdom of a lifetime
No one can ever tell
But whatever road you choose
I’m right behind you, win or lose

Because, really, there’s just so much I want to chat with him about — so many questions about life and what to do and if he’d be proud of me. Those moments are never going to happen, so maybe, in a sense, that’s what I’m mourning. The loss of those future father-daughter talks. And trust me, my father could talk your ear off. About anything and everything, actually. I think that’s where I get my chit-chatty nature from because I’ve been known to talk a blue streak, obviously.

In the end, I like to think that the words of the song are what my father would want for me. I like to think that this is the sort of wisdom he’d pass down to me. And I like to think that he’d be proud of the woman I’ve become. So be sure to hug your father today. After all, don’t you think he deserves it?

Tuesday Tunes: Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes”

Editor’s Note: Song lyrics denoted in bold italics.

As long as we’re talking about the ’80s today, I thought it only appropriate to carry that same theme over to Tuesday Tunes!

The Decade of Excess may have suffered from many missteps — shoulder pads! Milli Vanilli! Big hair! — but it got one thing exactly right.

The music.

There’s really no other decade that compares, except maybe the ’90s. Music in the ’80s was big (much like that hair trend!) and beautiful and sweeping. It sucked you in and mesmerized you into some sort of trance. If you weren’t careful, there was a chance you’d get lost in its melodies forever.

But, really, that possibility wasn’t that threatening or scary.

At least not to me. I grew up on this music. It shaped me and influenced me in ways I’m still discovering today — and probably will be for years to come. And when I think back over all the music produced in those 10 years, my mind naturally drifts to one favorite…

Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes”
From So

Like so many, I fell in love with this song at the same time I fell in love with a certain Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything. Here was a guy who was geeky and perfect, yet he didn’t even know it. He was so self-deprecating about it and that was so refreshing to see. You don’t see that too often these days.

Love I get so lost, sometimes
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away
I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are

Love sure makes us do some crazy things, doesn’t it? It can at once astound us and terrify us, build us up only to break us down. It’s not logical and sometimes it’s not even what we need or want at the time. But something about love keeps us coming back. Something about it keeps that sheer hunger stirring in our souls. So we hold on, not really knowing where we’re headed, but still desperately wanting to get there quickly.

I sometimes feel so out of control when it comes to love. I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, but I don’t think I’d ever have it any other way. You know I hate that feeling of utter powerlessness — it can just feel like one giant void sometimes, you know?

All my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

Whether we admit it or not, some degree of life is about playing a part. We have roles to play — mother, daughter, friend, employee. We get so good at playing the part that we start to wear that mask all the time. It becomes a part of us, even when we don’t know we’re doing it. It’s easy to become disconnected from ourselves, and that’s the last thing we want to do. What we want is for someone to see us — for who we are and all that we could be.

In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
The heat I see in your eyes

And yet, when we meet the right person? It’s like pure magic. An orchestra of fireworks erupts right before our very eyes and it’s like we’re finally seeing for the first time in our lives. I mean, this light is powerful. It overwhelms and consumes us.

When you think about being that source of light for someone else? I can’t even imagine that. What must it be like to have someone look at you like that? To look at you with such awe and wonder and love? It must be amazing — to finally find your true home and feel so safe.

In the end, I think we’re all just looking for our own Lloyd Dobler. I’m sure he’s out there somewhere, boombox in hand and ready to serenade us.

Tuesday Tunes: Whitney Houston’s “One Moment In Time”

Editor’s Note: Song lyrics denoted in bold italics.

We all have those moments in pop culture history that stand out in our minds. Something monumental happens, and you forever remember where you were when it happened.

For me, one of those moments is the death of Whitney Houston. It was February, just before the Grammy Awards, and I remember it being one of those times you just can’t believe is happening. Here was one of the greatest singers of all time gone far too soon. Her music seemed to transcend everything and every single song held a special place in my heart. These songs? They reminded me of my childhood and those good old days.

Whitney Houston’s “One Moment In Time”
From 1988 Summer Olympics Album

Whitney’s words and voice were pure gold. They were like anthems for the soul and I’m pretty sure everyone has one song that speaks to them — you know, the kind that towers above the rest. Whether it has special meaning, makes you happy or brings you to tears, it’s the type of song that you play at full blast WHENEVER it comes on the radio.

And for me, so many of her ’80s classic take me right back to — you guessed it! — my hospital days!

Each day I live
I want to be
A day to give
The best of me
I’m only one
But not alone
My finest day
Is yet unknown


I broke my heart
Fought every gain
To taste the sweet
I face the pain
I rise and fall
Yet through it all
This much remains

Maybe it’s only fitting that I write about this song now, seeing as how the Rio Olympics are coming up and this song was featured prominently in the 1988 Summer Olympics! I mean, everyone needs an anthem, right? This song — it became my anthem from the first time I heard it. I’ve always lived by the motto that people are doing the best they can in life. We may struggle, get knocked down and have the wind knocked out of us, but we always find a way to get up again. Something — motivation, determination, a supernatural force — moves us to GET UP OFF THE FLOOR and keep trying. That’s really the essence of the human spirit, don’t you think? Because as people, we want to do better. We want to be better than we were before. We want to live better than past generations. We want to make an impact and leave our mark so when we’re no longer on this earth, people will still know that we were here. We want future generations to look back at us and say, “Yes, they were here. They made a difference in the world.”

I want one moment in time
When I’m more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I’m racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel
I will feel eternity

During my hospital days, especially, I’d always looked forward to that one day when I was “just me.” Granted, those days weren’t altogether bad, but I always got the feeling that someday, I’d be free, just like Whitney’s song describes. To be able to shed those shackles that I felt were holding me back was such an appealing prospect. In a way, I’m not sure that hunger and drive to be free ever truly leaves us, though. We’ll always be fighting something, striving to do better and make positive changes that will get us to the exact place we want to be. Sure, it may take us some time, but that certainly doesn’t stop us from trying. Every single day. We try as hard as we can because we know we can do it. Deep down, we know we have that strength to persevere and see it through. Some people may say that it’s futile to keep doing something and not seeing results, but I say those people are the shortsighted ones. Things do change if you give it enough time.


I’ve lived to be
The very best
I want it all
No time for less
I’ve laid the plans
Now lay the chance
Here in my hands

And maybe in the end, this song is also about learning to be comfortable with who you are — something, as you know, I haven’t always been good at. You have to give yourself permission to love yourself, you know? It’s never something that just comes naturally; it has to be won and sometimes winning it is half the battle. I know that I may not always love myself or even be happy with myself, but I’m sure of one thing: I’m NEVER going to stop fighting to be my authentic self.

We encounter so many negative people in this world, and we owe it to ourselves not to be one of those people. After all, we owe it to ourselves to be our own best friend and our own biggest fan. Don’t you agree, friends?

Tuesday Tunes: Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”

Editor’s Note: Song lyrics denoted in bold italics.

As I’ve said before, I came of age during the HUGE teen pop explosion of the late ’90s. For anyone not in the know, this was a grand old time to be alive. It was a far simpler time, long before the modern trappings of things like the Internet and Donald Trump, and life moved at a much slower pace. As you can probably imagine, I was just as obsessed with pop culture back then — maybe even more so than today — and I easily got swept up in the bubblegum pop craze that all my fellow young people got hooked on. Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore, *Nsync, the Backstreet Boys — they were all in constant rotation on my CD player. And yes, I’m talking about one of those classic CD players; they just don’t make them like they used to, do they?

But I digress — that’s another topic for another post. Like I said, I jammed along to the sweet sounds of that pop music and memorized all the lyrics — ballads were usually my favorite, in case you were wondering. Through it all, though, one favorite stood out above the rest…

Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”
From Britney

Back then, there wasn’t such a thing as fandom names, but if there were, I’m pretty sure I would have been in that squad. I mean, how could you NOT love Ms. Brit? She sang. She danced. She got to be on the arms of one Justin Timberlake in a matching denim ensemble that was downright fly for its time. But more than that, she was real. It was a refreshing quality for a pop singer; it felt like she could just be one of your girlfriends — you know, the kind you hang out with on a Friday night and gossip down at the local ice cream shop. Her songs, naturally, also spoke to me. They told the sorts of tales of teenage yearning and growing and broken hearts, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’d spend hours watching her videos and singing along at the top of my lungs.

I used to think
I had the answers to everything
But now I know
Life doesn’t always go my way, yeah…
Feels like I’m caught in the middle
That’s when I realize…

It really is true what they say: Youth is wasted on the young. It’s the time of our lives and we don’t even know it. We think we know everything, though, and won’t listen to anyone who tells us differently. Never mind the fact that we haven’t exactly seen the world, but we like to think we have the answer to all the questions in the universe. What must it be like to be that self-assured? I certainly don’t remember how it felt, but it must have been comforting to feel like there wasn’t any problem we couldn’t solve or any obstacle that we couldn’t overcome. Those coming-of-age years? They were like living in a cocoon — a protective shell — that hadn’t hardened us to the world yet or made us jaded. We saw the world with such innocent eyes and fully believed that’s how we’d see things forever. I know I never envisioned a future in which I wasn’t wearing those rose-colored glasses.

I’m not a girl
Not yet a woman
All I need is time
A moment that is mine
While I’m in between

Yet as we get older, life quickly becomes complicated. We’re wrestling out of that cocoon, but we’re not a butterfly yet, so it’s not like we can exactly just fly away. We’re caught in the middle and it can be an overwhelmingly scary place to be. We’ve got time, but sometimes, time is the last thing we want. We welcome it, but also rail against it with everything we have. Even now, I still feel that way sometimes. We want to grow up, to move forward, but we’re scared. Deep down, we wonder if we can do it and we doubt ourselves. Those inner voices can get mighty loud at times — don’t you just want to tell them to SHUT UP already??


I’m not a girl
There is no need to protect me
It’s time that I
Learn to face up to this on my own
I’ve seen so much more than you know now
So don’t tell me to shut my eyes

Eventually, I suppose, we all get to a point where our confidence takes off — soars like that butterfly, perhaps?? We realize that, YES, we can do this crazy thing called life. We’ve been through a lot and don’t give ourselves nearly enough credit. We’re stronger than we think and far wiser than we may feel.

I didn’t really come to that conclusion until after my father died, and I don’t think it’s a revelation that anyone else can lead you to. It’s all part of that journey you have to walk on your own, at your own pace, in your own time. Maybe we’ll always be on the journey, and we’ll just stop at different stages in life. I sort of like to think about life in those terms, don’t you?? Sort of how we never really stop learning. We also never stop growing and learning more about who we are… xoxo