The Night Watches

Have you ever noticed the influence music has on you? On your feelings? The way it makes your body move, your fingers tap, your hips sway? Have you ever been revved up by a song, an anthem that propelled you to action? What was that song?  There was a time in my life a couple of years ago where I felt defeated. I felt overwhelmed and powerless and it left me feeling hollow in a lot of ways. One day in the middle of this difficult time, I was listening to music and this song came on that changed everything. That sounds pretty dramatic doesn't it? But truly, that's what it did. It gave me a fight song. It gave me words to say, loudly and passionately, that fueled my ability to get up off the ground, and brush the dust off and continue to fight on.  What was it about this song that caused such an immediate change? Was it the catchy lyrics or the melody? Perhaps it was both. In that moment, it was a lifeline to me. One that propelled me to action. Even still, several years later, ...

Where do you go when you feel entirely overwhelmed by the day? What do you do when the waves of emotion begin to overtake you and next steps feel just out of grasp? When there is just too much going on both in and around you?  Wednesday was one of those days for me. I had worked a long 8 hour day, filled with zoom meetings, phone calls, emails and management burdens that are often difficult to lay down at the end of the work day. The dinner hour was fast approaching. I definitely hadn't come up with a plan for dinner that night, and was rummaging through the fridge and then desperately rummaging through the freezer with the hopes that I had planned ahead at some previous point in my week. Alas, no dice. Breakfast for dinner it is.  Phone calls coming in from work, kids getting off the afternoon bus overflowing with a myriad of emotions all charged with the relief of having held it together all day. All to be greeted by an excited golden retriever who pees on the floor anytime ...