Music

Today mom is sitting in "her" living room. The sun is shining brightly through the window and she is soaking it up. I hooked up her stereo the other day and now she can listen to her CD's while enjoying the sun and view.  She loves music. She always has. I've noticed that listening to the radio can confuse her now. She'll hear something on the news snippets and not understand it. Then she asks me about it. I don't listen to the radio in the morning. That's something her and dad do before they get out of bed. They've done that for the majority of their 45 years together.( I tried doing that, but I have a tendency to fall back to sleep if I stay in bed. LOL) To give her music without the talk, it's CD's in her 400 CD player and she's happy. She doesn't own 400 cd's, but I do- if not more. I have it about 1/3 full. I will continue to load it with music I know she will enjoy: Reba, King George, Garth, classic country artists like Vern Gosdin, George Jones, Conway, Patsy Cline; IL Divo, Michael Buble, Rod Stewart. Oh and I can't forget her favorite song, "I'm Sexy and I know it!" by LMFAO. She sings this on her sassy days and cracks me up.

I have shared my eclectic taste of music with mom over the years. She doesn't see the  point in some of it, but when she does like something she lets me know. I have shared Nickelback (I don't want to hear it- I like 'em- let it go!), Kelly Clarkson, Gregorian Chants, System of a Down, Pat Green, Eric Church and soundtracks to some of my favorite movies- Runaway Bride, Dance with Me, The Wedding Date, An Officer and A Gentleman. Now she doesn't like the rock, but she does like anything country and some of the pop songs. She doesn't get CeeLo Green. And she really doesn't get rap. That's okay. I listen to it on my iPod downstairs. If we're on a road trip and she's awake, I skip the ones she doesn't like. She is a mom after all and I really don't want to hear how bad it is to hear cuss words in songs. She strongly dislikes Buckcherry's song "Crazy Bitch." Of course I love that song.

What I adore most about mom's love of music is her desire to dance. I get my love of dancing from her side of the family. She's polish and if you've ever been to a good old fashion polish wedding you'll understand. They love to polka and dance! Her dad, Grandpa L, used to put me on his knee and bounce me to the sounds of polka. I grew up listening to "She's too fat for me", "Who Stole the Kiska" and "In Heaven There is No Beer." I know all the words and can't help moving my feet to them. I learned how to polka from my mom and her brother, my godfather. I took to it like a duck to water.  When mom hears these songs she grins and moves with them too. I know they bring back fond memories of her father for her. We have great memories of weddings and polkas.

Because of my mom's love of dance, she always told me to marry a man that can dance. She didn't. Dad has "lead in his ass and his feet" is what's she's always said. But he always slow danced with her at every wedding or party. One of my fondest childhood memories is of seeing them dancing in the kitchen to an oldie. I grew up wanting a husband that would do the same. My first husband… his version of a slow dance was awkward. We never fit right. I have an ex-boyfriend that I fell in love with on our first date because we danced together. I thought I'd marry him. Dancing we were perfect together.  Goals of life and passions…. So far apart no dance was able to save us. My ideal man has changed as I've aged, but I still want someone who will walk into the kitchen or laundry room, and take me in his arms and dance with me.

Music has always been part of life for Tony and I. I grew up falling asleep to the radio. Now I have a playlist on my iPod that is titled "Sleepytime" that I can't sleep without. When Tony was told his cancer was terminal, he gave me a list of songs to play at his funeral. And we talked about songs he would send me as signs. He does when I need him most. Mom has discussed with me some of the songs she'd like played. She wants to be remembered with music. I like this idea very much. Just as I liked it for Tony. She wants "In Heaven There is No Beer", "Sexy and I know it", a few Reba songs and a few older ones. I'm working with her on the list.

Which of course leads me to think about how I want to be remembered in song. So here's a few that I think I'd like to have my loved ones remember me with.

1. "Love is Never Ending" by Brad Paisley- the title says it all.

2. "I believe" by Diamond Rio- because I do believe in angels and signs.

3. "Remember Me" by Kenny Rogers (others have sang it to)- again, the title says it all
4. "Bare Necessities" from the Jungle Book- This movie is an all time favorite of mine. This is my favorite song from the movie. If I'm watching the movie I will dance in my chair to it. If I hear it on my iPod, I dance to it. It brings out the child in me. I will forever be a child at heart and hope to remind others that it's a good thing.

5. "She's Too Fat for Me" by Frank Yankovic- it's not politically correct and it's my favorite polka.

6. "How You Ever Gonna Know" by Garth Brooks- this is a song I turn to when I doubt myself. It reminds me that unless I take a chance I'll never know what might have been. I want to be remembered for not being too scared to try. 
7. "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry- This is a feel good, dance to it song. It’s a happy song and I'd like to think I'll be remembered for being happy and silly.

8. "Find out Who You're Friends Are" by Tracy Lawrence- he's my favorite and this song is my life. I have true blue friends who'd be there in a minute. I hope they feel the same about me.

9. "The Holes That He Dug" by Tracy Lawrence- this song is all about not judging another person. I've tried my very best to live by this song.

10. "I Came Here to Live" by Trace Adkins- at the end of my life I want people to remember I came here to live. To try. To fail. To try again. To learn. To love. To LIVE!

What songs would you like your loved ones to remember you with?

Memories can be made with music. Music is profound. It is silly. It is deep. It is shallow. It is country, rock, alternative, hip-hop, rap, classical. It is sad and happy. It is romantic. It is revenge. IT IS LOVE!