A friend of mine just sent an invite for a “Soundtrack of Our Lives” party. It’s a girls only event where we each compile a soundtrack that chronicles our history and have them loop in the background while we catch up, laugh, cry and drink lots of wine. We need to choose one song that we go into detail about with the group. This has really got me thinking about what songs I would associate with certain milestones, triumphs and tragedies. When I go back through the events of my life there is definitely a soundtrack playing in the background.

My childhood was filled with my dad’s 60′s/70′s favorites, my mom’s 80′s beats, and the country twang and classical symphonies of my opposing grandparents. I snuck away with records from my dad’s collection and discovered Hendrix, Janis Joplin and John Lennon. When my heart was broken for the first time I fell into a two week depression with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Fiona Apple by my side. Thankfully (for Kyle), Van Morrison allowed me to fall in love again. Missy Elliot (old school), the Indigo Girls, Ani and Tori laid my feminist foundation during my college years. When my grandma died 7 years ago, music played an intrical part. I would stand by her bedside in the ICU with my portable cd player, blaring country music, defying all of the rules of the unit in a desperate attempt to bring her back to us. I waited there with tears streaming, praying she would respond, move, twitch, react to the music that she so dearly loved and I so hastily rejected. I still hear music every time I think of her. Harry Connick, Jr. was playing when I gave birth. Kade had severe colic and food allergies for the first year of his life. The only thing that would soothe him was music. I still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder when I hear “I’ve been working on the railroad.” I seriously sang that song over 100 times a day.

Music is playing in my home all hours of the day. Music is with us in the car, on our errands, in the stores, at events, on a run. Music is everywhere. Music is powerful. What music defines your life?