There is magic in music

For me there are two things that can pull up memories like nothing else, smells and music. I have found that smells are often random, sometimes a certain smell will remind me of something specific, and then other times it is just simply a smell. Whereas music seems to have magical powers; it can transform my moods, or transport me to another time and place. It seems to somehow seal a moment in my memory as if it were cement. Sadly, not all of its magic powers are beneficial, because it can also break my heart, hurt my ears, or even give me a splitting headache.

Then there are those songs, or, if you are really lucky, an entire album, that when you hear it, you can almost believe the artist somehow looked into the window to your soul, and wrote every line just for you. Before I tell you what album that is for me, let me give you a little background. In February of 1994, I was introduced to a relatively unknown artist named Sarah McLachlan. The first song I heard of hers was Good Enough, from Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. I was hooked, and wanted to hear more. I purchased the album, and listened intently to every song, over and over again. The entire album spoke to me like no other ever had, nor have since. It was then she became my absolutely favorite female soloist, and still is 21 years later.

However, there is one song in particular that wrapped itself around my heart and became my song, Elsewhere.  For me, the entire album is magic – but that one song, no matter how bad I may feel, no matter how lost I may be, that song will bring me to a stop, calms me down, and for four minutes and forty-four seconds nothing else exists. It is just me and an ethereal voice. You may not have an entire album that speaks to you so profoundly, but I am sure you have at least one song that does all of that for you.

I love the time and in between
the calm inside me
in the space where I can breathe