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

After a brief hiatus, I’m pretty pumped to bring back our weekly Tuesday Tunes series!!! Come on, admit it — you missed it terribly, didn’t you? I know! I did too! So to kick things off once again, I must pay homage to a childhood favorite that has followed me into adulthood. Just consider this post The Monkees Edition!

The Monkees’ “I’m A Believer”
From More of The Monkees

I couldn’t have been more than 6 or 7 when I saw The Monkees in concert. The prefab four marked my first concert experience, and although I don’t really remember going, I have a pretty clear picture in my head, thanks to my parents’ wonderful stories over the years. Apparently, the people sitting around us got such a kick out of me, so you know I must have been rocking out hard-core to all those catchy tunes!

Fast-forward to my teenage years where my father pulls out his old record player, complete with his record collection. I mean, actual, original records from the ’60s and ’70s, not these “vintage” vinyls of today’s pop acts that all the young people buy in an attempt to be cool and edgy.

But I digress.

Anyway, we all gathered around that record player in our living room and listened to the sounds of a former generation. The words and melodies from the likes of Simon & Garfunkel and the Beatles danced in the air. I felt like I was actually hearing music for the first time, you know? And of course, you could tell how proud my parents were to show us a piece of their past.

I thought love was only true in fairy tales
Meant for someone else but not for me
Love was out to get me
That’s the way it seemed
Disappointment haunted all of my dreams

“I’m A Believer” is perhaps one of the group’s catchiest, most infectious tunes, but you’d never know that from those opening lines, would you? It starts off downright depressing, actually, but I’ve always identified with those lyrics. Yes, I know I can be a bit obsessed with fairy tales — OK, maybe even sometimes at the exclusion of reality — and all those fairy tales can make real-life love seem unattainable at times. Honestly, even now, I still feel like love is something that’s meant for everyone else but me, as if I was standing outside some private club I’ll never get into. Most of the time, I can just shrug off those negative emotions, but other times? Well, let’s just say that it gets to me. I sure wish it didn’t, but it does.

Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love
I’m a believer, I couldn’t leave her if I tried

And then, finally, like the glorious rainbow that appears just as the rain clouds part, everything changes to a more upbeat, peppy tone. The sense of optimism is palpable, which is just so incredibly refreshing to me. I suppose it just goes to show that things really can change at the most unexpected of times.

That sense of possibility gives me hope — hope for the future, hope that things can eventually change, hope that now isn’t necessarily forever. I’m over-the-moon grateful for that sense of hope. And, really, I’m not just talking about love and relationships here. Nothing in life is set in stone, and maybe that’s a wonderful thing.

Obviously, The Monkees are also part of my history and that history courses through my blood to this day — it’s a huge part of my family and became such a way for us to bond. Maybe you have a fave song, group or album that helped you bond with your family as well, friends!! Let me know in the comments!! xoxo

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

Have you ever had one of those moments where the universe just seems to bring everything together at the right moment? While brainstorming for today’s Tuesday Tunes song, I thought of my sister, who checked out Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits at the library yesterday. She’s been grooving to the tunes of the ’70s lately and it made me think of how much Fleetwood’s songs have touched my soul in the last few years. As my mom is fond of saying, “Oh, everyone owned Rumours in the ’70s” and I can honestly see why. The songwriting is top-notch and incredibly heartfelt, isn’t it? As you can probably guess, though, one song sticks out for me — it sticks out particularly strong, actually…

Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird”
From Rumours

Is there anyone in the music industry who is stronger than Stevie Nicks? I defy you to find someone with more character than Nicks. She was a true powerhouse, don’t you think? And the fact that she poured so much heart and soul into the music while in the midst of a breakup with bandmate Lindsey Buckingham never ceases to amaze me. Really, though, all the members of the band were each going through heartbreak when they recorded the album, so they’re all pretty gutsy in my book!

*Side note: Let’s just be real for a minute…there is no way I could maintain that level of professionalism and work with an ex while I was in the trenches of heartbreak and loss. I mean, have you read my blog for the last 8 years? I have just a wee bit of trouble, umm, keeping my thoughts to myself.

For you, there’ll be no more crying
For you, the sun will be shining
And I feel that when I’m with you
It’s alright, I know it’s right

For all the emotional turmoil the band was feeling, this song is such a sweet ode to love. It’s simple, sure, but sometimes those are the ones that send the most powerful and effective messages. To me, this one has always read like more of a lullaby than a standard pop song. Maybe that’s why I like it so much and why it made such an impression on me? I’m not sure, but I’m certainly in love with the imagery at the very beginning of the song. I picture a place full of open green fields, blue skies and an endless amount of sunshine. That’s the world you want for the people you love the most and I often hope that’s where my father is — a place where he is surrounded by peace. Even when it comes to the people who are still with us, there are just some people who make you feel safe and loved and protected. Those people are the treasures of our lives and we want to hold on to them for as long as we can. We never want to let them go.

To you, I’ll give the world
To you, I’ll never be cold
‘Cause I feel that when I’m with you
It’s alright, I know it’s right

It’s no secret that I am so grateful for all the wonderful people in my life. My family means the world to me and I honestly don’t know what I would do without them. They’ve seen me through the scariest times in my life and never left. They’ve stuck by me and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank them enough for that.

And the songbirds are singing, like they know the score
And I love you, I love you, I love you, like never before

And I wish you all the love in the world
But most of all, I wish it from myself

I spend a lot of time wondering how I can show my appreciation for my family. I want them to know that I NEVER take them for granted. I think I’ve said “thank you” millions of times and, honestly, I don’t think it’ll ever be enough. I’ve got so many incredible people in my circle and every day, I hope they know just how special and loved they are. Always.

I have dreams of big gestures and piles of presents to as a way to show my love, but in the end? This song shows us the power of three simple words: I. Love. You. True, it’s not on par with hiring a skywriter, but maybe that’s the point. These simple words can — and do!! — have such a huge impact on people. We can forget that sometimes when we get swept up in the whole “thinking big” mentality, you know?

P.S. OK, in re-reading this, I’m realizing just how gushy I got this week. Definitely didn’t expect that…feel free to get a tissue if you need one! xoxo

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

Now, friends, before you roll your eyes at the title of this blog post, just hear me out for a moment. Yes, I think we all can agree that Ms. Mariah has had some missteps lately in both her personal and professional life, but who hasn’t? She’s human; she’s made mistake, just like we ALL have so many times in our life.

But today, I’m more talking about old-school Mariah — you know, the classic Mariah from the ’90s who riffed high notes while singing about butterflies and dream lovers. That is the Mariah I first fell in love with, and she went on to define so much of my youth and teen years. With her trademark sound and heartfelt lyrics, it was pretty impossible not to feel something — anything! — when one of her tunes came on the radio. I found myself identifying with many of her hits, but there was one in particular that pierced me straight through the heart. And maybe more importantly, it’s one that’s stuck with me for more than 2o years. That’s a powerful song right there, if you ask me…

Mariah Carey’s “Hero”
From Music Box

I couldn’t have been more than 12 when I first heard the song. There I was, a wee little lass just trying to figure things out, come to grips with my disability and trying to find someone who understood just exactly what I was feeling. And then I heard this voice — it sounded like an angel speaking to me from amidst the clouds, somehow telling me that everything was going to be alright.

There’s a hero
If you look inside your heart
You don’t have to be afraid
Of what you are
There’s an answer
If you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know
Will melt away

Gosh, Ms. Mariah sure doesn’t mince words, does she? She gets right down to it with a massively powerful truth statement. Don’t be afraid of yourself. For so long, I was so afraid to be myself, to show anyone any part of who I was, for fear that they wouldn’t like what they saw. I mean, I recently admitted to the entire Internet that I was the Beast, so there’s that. Not to mention that I’ve always grappled with a pretty big fear of rejection. Being disabled and fearing rejection isn’t a very pleasant combination, trust me, and before I knew it, I felt like I was starting to hide. Hide from the world. Hide from even myself. Maybe I just didn’t want to be seen anymore. Maybe, I thought, it would just be better if I became a cocoon — at least then I wouldn’t run the risk of being hurt. Every again.

And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you’ll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you

But Ms. Mariah? She definitely showed me that there was another way to live. It didn’t have to be all or nothing and I didn’t have to sacrifice myself in the process. So what had I been missing all these years? Ironically, the one thing that had been with me all along — it had always been there, right in front of me.

Myself. My voice — you know, that inner voice that gives you strength and self-assurance. I’d all but cast aside and silenced that little voice. Or maybe I just didn’t want to hear what it had to say? Whatever the reason, it was high time I listened to that voice because I’m pretty sure it had some very wise things to tell me!

It’s a long, road
When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand
For you to hold
You can find love
If you search within yourself
And the emptiness you felt
Will disappear

So often, we don’t give ourselves enough credit in life. We self-censor, belittle and just generally insult ourselves…and to what end? What exactly do we think we’ll accomplish by berating ourselves like this? What would we think if we saw someone say these same things to someone else? We wouldn’t stand for it and might even step in to help. So why do we think it’s OK to treat ourselves like this? I’m always trying to get this point across to Janelle, who is soooooo hard on herself and is pretty much the best person in the entire world. I just want to wrap her in a giant hug and tell her this over and over until she starts to believe it.

Maybe if we believed in ourselves more, the outside world wouldn’t seem so dark and threatening. Maybe if we let some of our own light shine, some of that light will seep out into the world and make it a better place. It’s a start, at the very least, and most definitely something that we all can work on and build on over the years. Are you with me? LET’S GO… xoxo

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

If there’s one thing that I can count on in life, it’s that Adele’s voice and words will ALWAYS bring me to tears. Seriously, we’re talking massive tears here! They just automatically start rolling down my face. What can I say? Adele is just the right combination of words, music and vocal chops that hit you right in the heart. And right away, too. She knows how to tell a good story in under four minutes — the real, honest, believable stories. It’s not some song about dancing all night or living some sort of flashy, Hollywood-ized lifestyle that is completely unrelatable and unattainable. It’s life and I think that’s precisely why people can relate to her words so much. But for me, it’s always been about one song in particular.

Adele’s “Someone Like You”
From 21

The first time I heard this song, I was completely stunned. In the best way possible, of course! I mean, here was such a simple song that said so many deep, profound things at the same time. It’s rare for a song to do that, you know? There’s nothing really flashy about this song, so maybe that’s why it’s resonated so much with me over the years. It was like my heart attached itself to the song and wouldn’t let go — it was holding on for dear life. I’m listening to it RIGHT NOW and sing along, so that pretty much says it all right there. And don’t even get me started on the live version — pure magical heaven!

I heard that you’re settled down
That you found a girl and you’re married now
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn’t give to you

Old friend, why are you so shy?
Ain’t like you to hold back or hide from the light

There’s that moment where you find out someone you have/had feelings for is now in a relationship. We all been there, haven’t we? It’s a pretty heartbreaking moment, to say the least, and sometimes, it just hits us out of nowhere. Even months later, those feelings can still be there. They seem to come and go at odd times, don’t they? Maybe you’re like me and you don’t even know what to do with these sorts of feelings. I mean, half the time I can easily brush them aside, but there are times were it sort of eats away at my soul a little. I know it shouldn’t. I know it’s all one hopeless game to play and I’ll most definitely never win. And yet…I keep playing, keep engaging with my feelings for some unknown reason. BECAUSE SOMETIMES I JUST FEEL THINGS SO DEEPLY!

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn’t stay away, I couldn’t fight it
I had hoped you’d see my face and that you’d be reminded
That for me it isn’t over

I’ll say one thing: Adele’s got it right when she says that it’s hard to fight it. It’s absolutely impossible to fight it when it comes to matters of the heart. You want to think with your head, but your heart has other plans and it just completely takes over. We like to think we’re in control, but sometimes I feel as though I’m a bit powerless in controlling anything when my feelings get like this! It can get to be A LOT. And you know what? If I could tell certain people anything, it would be that, for me, it’s most definitely not over. I may pretend that I’m fine or that I’ve effortlessly shrugged off those feelings, but you know what? I haven’t. And I honestly don’t know if I ever will. I often wonder what they’d say to that…

Never mind, I’ll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don’t forget me, I beg
I’ll remember you said,
“Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead”

But, I suppose, we all have to come to some sort of resolution, don’t we? We have to somehow get to a place where it doesn’t hurt as much and we’re able to see the light at the end of a very long and winding tunnel. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to completely forget about the other person — you’re just going to put them somewhere on the shelf of your life, so to speak. It’s hard, trust me, but I think it can be done.

As much as I hate to admit it, time probably helps with this too. I’ve never been much of a fan of that phrase “time heals all,” but maybe it’s true in this case. I’m no pro at this by any means, but it has to be better than always feeling like your heart is breaking a little more. It’s not healthy, that’s for sure, and you all know that I’m constantly striving to be emotionally healthy. I don’t always feel in tip-top shape, but at least I’m forever working at it. There’s something to be said for that, isn’t there? Here’s to your emotional health too, friends!! xoxo