2012 Election Day Soundtrack

The post below was originally written in on Election Day 2008. The sentiments I felt that day, I still feel today. In fact, if anything, I'm more optimistic about our future now than I was then.

I have no idea what will happen today. I don't know how people will vote. I hope Nate Silver of 538 is right and that President Obama is re-elected. No matter what happens, I hope we can come together as a country and remember that we're all one and we're in this together.

Make sure you vote and listen to some good music.

We Take Care Of Our Own by Bruce Springsteen

I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas


Good Life by One Republic

Simply the Best by Tina Turner


I Feel Good by James Brown


I Can See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff


Election Day Soundtrack! 
(originally published 11/4/08)

Yesterday as I was running some errands and stuck in my car for about 45 minutes, I kept switching radio stations (I'm bad with the TV remote too). Every station I landed on had motivating, uplifting, and hopeful music. As I drove around on this beautiful 70+ degree sunny early November day (that NEVER happens in Chicago), I couldn't help but sense the hope in the air. The whole world just feels different.

So as we end our Long National Nightmare, I think we need a soundtrack.

Enjoy!

Yes We Can by Will.I.Am


Beautiful Days by U2


One (Live in Chicago, 2005) by U2


Better Days by Goo Goo Dolls


Big Country


Only In America by Brooks & Dunn


Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours by Stevie Wonder


Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow) by Fleetwood Mac

LMS Exclusive: Super-Secret James Taylor Playlist for Ravinia

It's a big weekend in my world. James Taylor is coming to Ravinia. I'm going on Saturday night and believe you me, it's took all my willpower not to buy tickets for both Friday and Saturday night, but that seemed a little, well, stalker-ish. So I'm going on Saturday night, but if anyone wanted to gift me with tickets for Friday night, I'd gratefully go and behave myself. Yes, I would behave and yes, I had to think about that.

I've never seen James Taylor live, but he's in my list of Top 5 Musicians I Must See Live, so I'm going on Saturday. You see how this works. It's not important who the other four are; this is about James Taylor, not them.

Fortunately, just like I did with Kenny Loggins a few weeks ago, I have once again snagged the super-secret James Taylor playlist for Saturday night. Well, okay, I only imagine that I've snagged the playlist. I hope James performs the songs below. Hearing them would make my night. No, that's not true. Hearing them all would make my summer. Trust me, my summer could use the boost.

You've Got a Friend

Carolina on My Mind


Something in the Way She Moves


You Are My Only One


Shower the People


Mexico


Copperline


Country Road


Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight


And as an encore . . . Fire and Rain

James, there's no need to thank me. Really. All I really need is for you to bring me up on stage while you serenade me all night long. That will be thanks enough.

As always, this blog post is better if you can watch the videos. If you read LMS via email, click over to the blog and watch the videos. You'll thank me.

Joyful Joyful

I don't believe anything just happens. I believe that, especially with the people we are most intimately connected, we bring into each other's lives exactly what the other needs, exactly when it is needed most. The best part of that, in my opinion, is that we often don't realize when we're doing something that will profoundly impact the other person. But the universe knows and guides us to take action.

Take, for example, an email I received the other day from someone who knows me better than almost anyone else. He doesn't usually send me emails and when he does, they never just have video links in them, so I thought this might be some sort of nefarious email I shouldn't open that was sent without his knowledge. So I asked him and without telling me what the video contained, he just said, "yep, I sent it."

Fast forward to this morning when I finally watched the video. Imagine my surprise when I discovered my all-time favorite piece of music and how much it made me smile.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 is the first Choral Symphony ever composed. Some say it's the greatest piece of music ever written and is widely held as Beethoven's greatest work.

I can't put my finger on exactly what I love so much about this piece of music, but it just moves me. It touches every part of my being each time I hear it. I not only hear it, but I can feel it, taste it, see it, and yes, smell it. My soul feels happier when I hear even just a few bars.

Ode to Joy, which is sung in the final movement of the symphony, is inspiring. My personal preference, however, is Joyful Joyful, which I grew up singing in church. Now I'm not typically a loud singer in church, but when Joyful, Joyful is part of the service, I stand and belt it out. I love it so much, I want Joyful, Joyful sung at my funeral.

Watch the videos below and just try not to end up in a better mood. Oh, my favorite part is watching the little girl who climbs the light pole "directing."

Som Sabadell Flash Mob

Joyful Joyful

Playlist for Kenny Loggins

So one of the great traditions of my new town is the fantastic Fourth of July celebration it puts on. (Sorry, Arlington Heights, Frontier Days is great, but I think Lake Forest and Lake Bluff do the Fourth of July much better).

Each year, they have a great musical talent perform at Deerpath Park followed immediately by fireworks so big you feel like you could reach out and pull them out of the sky with your bare hands. (NOTE: Do not try this. Fireworks are very dangerous. I've known people who were involved in a freak fireworks accident. You don't want to be in their shoes. Trust me.)

Last year, Rick Springfield played. This year, it's Kenny Loggins. That's right. Kenny Loggins of Loggins & Messina, for those of you of a certain age, and the guy who sang the theme songs to Caddyshack, Footloose (the original), and Top Gun, for those of you in my generation. Previous concerts have included The Village People, KC & the Sunshine Band, Eddie Money, and others. Completely awesome. I know. The entire community comes out for this event. It's like a night at Ravinia with people bringing picnics and wine, although you can purchase food from Lovell's, if you'd prefer.

I don't know if Kenny Loggins reads Little Merry Sunshine or not (but if not, why the Hell not?), but I thought I'd take it upon myself to create his play list for him. These are the songs I'd love to hear. He can perform others too, but at a minimum, I hope he sings these songs. No need to thank me. It was a labor of love.

For the First Time


Footloose (the original will always be the best)


Danger Zone (By the way, what are the odds we could have the hottest guys from LFPD and LFFD playing sand volleyball shirtless while Kenny Loggins sings this? I'll pick the players and no, I don't need anyone else's opinion. I'm fully qualified to make this decision.)

This is It


I'm Alright (because everybody needs a little Caddy Shack)


Meet Me Halfway


Return to Pooh Corner (I prefer this to the original, House at Pooh Corner. He must sing this because who doesn't love Winnie the Pooh and all this song represents?)


Forever


The Real Thing


I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)


Rainbow Connection (The only thing better than Kenny Loggins singing this would be Kermit joining him to sing it.)


Danny's Song 


Finally, for his encore, he should perform Conviction of the Heart. 

Because I'm so easy going and not controlling at all, Kenny can feel free to do these songs in any order he wishes. I would encourage him not to do all the mushy love songs together because I may just end up in tears. Honestly, I'd forgotten how many wonderful love songs he'd written. But Conviction of the Heart should be last.

Of course, if you received this blog post via email, take a stroll onto the inter webs and watch all the videos. It's worth an hour of your workday. It's the 3rd of July, the day before a holiday. You're probably not doing anything anyway.

Fun With Security Cameras

My friend, Ellen, posted the video below on Facebook yesterday and it made me smile.

Don't misunderstand me, I hate the almost constant intrusion of security cameras in our lives. I hate that we can barely walk down the street without Big Brother spying on us all under the guise of keeping us safe. Uh huh.

But sometimes the cameras catch good things in life that we wouldn't ever see. So, as much as it pains me to say this, thank you Coca Cola for capturing these snippets of the good in life.

Plus, I love the song "Give A Little Bit" by Supertramp (which you can watch below the Coco Cola video).





As always, if you read LMS via email, hop on over to the website and watch the videos. I don't know why they don't show up in the emails, but they don't.

Happy Birthday Jon Bon Jovi!

Happy Birthday Jon Bon Jovi! Damn, 50 looks good on you.

I first fell in lust for Jon Bon Jovi when I was in high school and that lust has continued for over two decades. My high school boyfriend took me to see Bon Jovi at the Rosemont Horizon during the Slippery When Wet tour. We were in the 6th row.

Since then, I've seen live Bon Jovi a couple more times, including four years ago. And in 20+ years, Bon Jovi just keeps getting better and better.

Here are a couple of my favorite Bon Jovi songs:

I'll Be There for You because of a different high school friend and all that he meant to me during my senior year.

Hallelujah - such a beautifully haunting song. One of my most favorite songs ever.

Wanted Dead or Alive

It's My Life

(You Want to) Make A Memory

Finally, You Give Love a Bad Name - because of the first man to break my heart.

Whitney Houston RIP

In the midst of my first dinner party last night, a friend blurts out "Oh my God! Whitney Houston is DEAD!" We weren't talking about Whitney Houston or anything related to her, so I thought maybe he'd suddenly been afflicted with Tourette's Syndrome. He's been fighting a head cold all week and had just popped two Advil, so you never know. Immediately, the other three of us grabbed our iPhones, began scouring the interwebs for details. I flipped on the tv, but CNN, Headline News, MSNBC, Fox News, and even E! were all focussed on other "more important" things. Fortunately, we finally received confirmation from Scott Kleinberg on Twitter.

And then the inappropriateness began. Tim, walked into the kitchen for a refill on wine, saw Betsey and Ross's medicine shelf and started snapping pictures. A few moments later, thanks to Instagram, the world was treated to this:

@Tim State: "Supplies for a diabetic cat? Or found next to Whitney Houston?"

Yes, I know. Horribly inappropriate. The comments on Facebook ranged from "never too soon for a drug addict joke! LOL!" to "You are so not right." That was my favorite. Betsey and Ross refused to speak to Tim for the rest of the evening because they believe he violated their HIPAA rights, but the legal expert in the room claimed HIPAA laws don't apply to cats. Whatever. Clearly I was outnumbered.

As a teen, I loved Whitney Houston. I had all her albums on cassette tape and played them on an endless loop. In 1987, my mom, my friend Tiffany and I saw her in concert at Poplar Creek. Tiffany and I were in the cheap seats in the back, while my mom sat practically stage-side right next to Whitney's mom and famous singer in her own right, Cissy Houston.

Tiff and me in 1987 at the Whitney Houston concert at Poplar Creek. If you look closely, you'll see my Swatch on my wrist.

Even though it's been years since Whitney Houston was truly popular, there are a number of songs, that for me, transcend time and never fail to stop me in my tracks. In no particular order, they include her rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Superbowl, her cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" from The Bodyguard, "One Moment in Time" from the 1984 Olympics, and the a cappella version of "How Will I Know."

There may never be another singer who can handle this song the way Whitney did. It was the perfect way to unite the country with pride as we entered the first Iraqi war.

Another great love song. I'm sure we've all felt this way more than once. I love this song because you've got to have real vocal chops to sing a capella. No auto tuner. Just you.

Is it possible to listen to "One Moment in Time" without being completely inspired to be your best?


Here's Whitney singing "I Will Always Love You" from VH1's Divas Live Save the Music in 1999. It's the perfect way to remember her.

I imagine tonight's Grammy Awards will be quite moving. Whitney Houston will be missed. Voices like hers are a rare gift to the world. RIP Whitney Houston.

The Watervale Man

Watervale guests are known for their creativity and devotion to Watervale, so it was truly a matter of time before someone wrote a song. A friend of mine posted this video to Facebook a few weeks ago and I thought I'd wait to post it to LMS until I was at Watervale.

This song and video really do give you a good idea of what Watervale is all about and why I love it so much, so make sure you watch the video. Honestly, if you're reading this via email and the video didn't come through, visit LMS to watch it.

The End of the World

Okay, I know that just 24 hours ago I said I was taking a break, but then I made that half-hearted comment about the possibility of the world ending on Saturday and made plans with a friend for Sushi Sunday with the disclaimer about the having to cancel if the world ends. For the record, I'm really craving sushi, so I hope the world doesn't end on Saturday.

Also, for the record, I don't actually believe that the world will end on Saturday, but just in case the Judgment Day is upon us, I thought it was important to help my readers through it in style - that is to say cocktails and a soundtrack.

Disclaimer: LMS always recommends you drink responsibly, but I suppose that if the world is truly collapsing around you in the most literal sense, then you can do whatever you please. But unless you personally see the Four Horseman, I'd really suggest you double check that world ending thing.

End of the World Cocktail (from 1001 Cocktails.com)
1/2 oz. high proof rum
1/2 oz. whiskey
1/2 oz. vodka

Serve warm in a shot glass. No garnish necessary.

LMS recommends using only top-shelf liquor here. If ever there were an excuse to avoid the cheap stuff, the apocalypse is it.

Now onto the music...

The End by The Doors


Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley


Closing Time by Semisonic


Don't Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult


We'll All Go Together When We Go by Tom Lehrer


The End by The Beatles


It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) by REM


Goodbye Stranger by Supertramp


We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel


So Long, Farewell from The Sound of Music


If the end really is upon us in the next 24 to 48 hours, then I can honestly say I've enjoyed the ride for almost 40 years, I've been blessed to have a life full of people I love and who love me in return, and I have much to be grateful for, including each of my Little Merry Sunshine readers.

If the world isn't ending, I'll be back over the weekend.

Maverick, Iceman, Charlie, & Goose Are Turning 25!

Do you remember when Tom Cruise wasn't jumping on sofas and spouting Scientology every chance he got, but was just making teen-age girls everywhere weak in their knees when he showed off as a hot-shot pilot and wooed his flight instructor?

Ya. I thought so. Me too.

Most female LMS readers who came of age in the late-1980s saw Top Gun many times, each time falling a little more head-over-heels for Tom Cruise. Guys wanted to be Maverick and girls wanted to do things with him they wouldn't even consider doing with their teen-age boyfriends.

Top Gun, like any of the Brat Pack movies from the 1980s (although to be sure, it's not an official Brat Pack movie), is a movie I can't turn off when I notice it's on cable, even if it's 3am. There's just something about Top Gun that gets me every time. Maybe it's the music. Maybe it's Maverick's cockiness. Maybe it's the way he takes control with Charlie. Maybe it's the way he flies his plane and rides his motorcycle. Maybe it's a combination. Whatever it is, it still works.

And now, after 25 years of being forced to watch it on television, VHS, or DVD, Top Gun is returning to the big screen for 2 showings!

Saturday, April 30th at 12:30pm and Monday, May 2nd at 7:00pm (local times).

Wherever you are, there's sure to be a Top Gun showing near you.

You'll find me at the new AMC Randhurst 12 on Saturday, April 30th at 12:30. Come join me.

Mix Tapes

As I was driving home tonight, I heard a song on the radio and thought “that song would be perfect for a mix tape.” That thought was immediately followed by “I haven’t made or listened to a mix tape in almost 20 years.”

You remember the mix tape. You made one for your girlfriend or boyfriend. Maybe you made one for your best friends that recalled your last summer together before you all went to separate colleges. People made them for you. They were party souvenirs.

Back in the day, I had a gazillion cassettes, but the ones that have stood the test of time and a dozen moves since high school are my mix tapes. I don’t have any of my Pet Shop Boys or Outfield or even Bon Jovi cassettes anymore, but I still have almost two dozen mix tapes. They span a full decade of my life, from 1984 through 1994, and represent long lost loves, forever friend, parties, vacations, my favorite workout music, and much more.

The first mix tape I ever received was from my high school boyfriend. He gave it to me just before I left for Watervale and I’m sure I spent all 6 hours in the car listening to it on my cassette Walkman. It was full of the music we loved, and listening to it, I knew without a doubt exactly how he felt about me. Unfortunately, that tape died a merciless death at the controls of my tape deck. I listened to it until it wore out.

My favorite mix tape was a surprise from my friend Kirsten in the Fall of 1991. She was studying in Hong Kong and I was back at Lake Forest College, after having spent the summer at Watervale. The tape, called "Jess's Hong Kong Express," was a mix of songs, quotes, poems, and stories of her adventures overseas and the day it appeared in my mailbox, I ran all the way back to Deerpath Hall to listen to it before even cracking a page of homework.

A couple of years ago, I was packing for a romantic getaway and I wanted a soundtrack of music to help set the mood and say the things I couldn’t. I spent a couple of hours putting together a playlist on my iPod, but then when we reached our destination, we realized we didn’t have a docking station. So much for technology. I'm not sure that playlist survived moving to a new laptop and resetting my iPod.

Getting back to my drive home tonight, I began to wonder, how do people in love express their emotions through music in the day of digital downloads? Pandora sort of creates playlists, but they're not fully customizable because Pandora chooses the music for you. Do you “borrow” your lover’s iPod or iPhone and download a custom playlist? That’s sort of romantic, but playlists can easily get deleted. And you can’t exactly create custom artwork on the cover of a playlist the way you can on a cassette. Sure, tapes wear out, melt in your car (assuming you have a cassette player), and get lost, plus the sound quality is no where near as good as today's digital downloads, but there's something really wonderful about holding a tape and knowing the hours of effort that went into making it.

I miss mix tapes and can't help but wonder if, in spite of all the wonderful technological innovations we've had in the last twenty years, maybe we haven't lost one of life's great joys. What do you think?

Change The World

With all that's going on in the world these days (see Egypt, Libya, Wisconsin, et al), "Change the World" by Eric Clapton seems the best way to bring in March and the meteorological beginning of Spring.

My friend Cindee posted the video below on Facebook tonight (yes, I know I'm letting my friends do all the heavy lifting for LMS content right now, but I promise LMS will be completely original on Thursday morning) and it so inspired me that I had to share it with you. Take the time to not only listen to the music, but to watch the video and read the lyrics that go along with it. I'm pretty certain you'll feel inspired too.

And if Eric Clapton doesn't inspire you, take the words of Margaret Mead to heart. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

If Only Ray Charles Could Sing Me to Sleep at Night

The other day on Facebook, my friend Koko posted the video below along with a comment about how she now wants Ray Charles to come and croon her to sleep nightly. I replied that when he's done at her house, he ought to just pop over to mine. She then kindly sent me the link to the second video. Just listen to his sultry voice. I'd surely have peaceful wonderful dreams nightly if I drifted off to sleep listening to him. If only he could...

Happy 25th Anniversary Chicago Bears!

Congratulations to the 1985-86 Chicago Bears on the 25th anniversary of the ass-whooping they gave to the New England Patriots in Superbowl XX (that's 20 for you non-Roman numeral types).

Without a doubt, that team, affectionately known as the Monsters of the Midway, and consisting of such players as Sweetness, the Fridge, the Punky QB, Samurai Mike, to name a few, is one of the all-time greatest football teams.

For proof, I offer up the Superbowl Shuffle. What other team could make fun of themselves like this? And, no, there's no need to thank me for sticking these lyrics in your head for the rest of the day.



Now, can we please get back to football like the Bears gave us in 1985-86? I'm a little tired of saying "wait til next year" in reference to the Bears. It's bad enough I have to keep saying it about the Cubs. Thanks.

Certain Songs Say What I Can't

I was having a conversation with a Lifetime Friend today about Little Merry Sunshine and I explained how sometimes I use it to say the things I cannot say out loud. For example, when Nana died, I couldn't say all I wanted to say about the grief I felt, but I could write about her and how much I missed her (and still do) and that helped me process my grief and come out of my depression.

Today is one of those days where I can't make the words that describe my feelings come out of my mouth, but I can sort of say them on Little Merry Sunshine. Well, Bruce Springsteen and Michael W. Smith can say them for me.

Hallelujah Chorus Flash Mob

Almost nothing puts me in the Christmas Spirit like Handel's Messiah and especially the Hallelujah Chorus. I've been privileged to hear Messiah at the Washington National Cathedral twice while I lived there and can honestly tell you that no other performance compares.

Until now.

Today I heard about the Hallelujah Chorus performed by a flash mob at the Welland Seaway Mall food court.

You simply must watch the video below to the end. If it doesn't put you in the Christmas Spirit, then I don't know what will. As always, if you read Little Merry Sunshine via email, make sure you visit the blog to watch the video.

Was Today The Day The Music Really Died?

Thirty years ago today, John Lennon was shot and killed. I was 9 and don't think I even knew the name John Lennon. I knew Elvis and remember where I was when he died because my parents listened to Elvis, but I don't recall them listening to the Beatles.

So I can't tell you that I grew up loving the Beatles because I didn't. In fact, it's just been the last few years I have come to appreciate their music and the full impact they had on the world.

In honor of John Lennon's death, I give you my two favorite songs by John Lennon and the Beatles (there's one of each before someone emails and says "The group isn't 'John Lennon and the Beatles! It's just The Beatles.'")

If you read LMS via email, I encourage you to visit the blog and watch the videos. One of you especially. Watch the video. You'll know why. If you don't, you can call me and I'll tell you.

First, the breaking news story about John Lennon's murder by Mark David Chapman.


Imagine by John Lennon


Let it Be by The Beatles


Because I love each of my 23 readers (yes, readership has grown from 12!), I'm giving you a bonus video. Okay, so the truth is that I didn't realize this that this song that I really like was by John Lennon until my friend Des posted it on Facebook. My bad. But still, I do love my readers. So go with that reason. Really. And on a political note, maybe one day soon, all wars will truly be over. To quote John Lennon, "make love not war."

Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon

Friday Favorites: Favorite Concerts

I love music. I listen to music in the shower in the morning. I am addicted to Pandora and my iPod. I listen to music in the car. And I sing LOUDLY, when I'm alone. Music truly speaks to my soul.

One of my favorite things to do is hear live music, so for today's Friday Favorites, I'm sharing my favorite concerts.

1. Prince's "Musicology Tour" in the summer of 2004. I remember walking in with my friend, just as Prince took the stage, arriving at our seats, and turning to my friend saying "I dated the guy sitting next to us in college. I'm SURE that's him and his wife. I haven't seen him since college." She spent the whole night staring at them, while I tried not to look again. A few years later, I learned it wasn't him. But I digress. What made this concert such a memorable one was the 18 song acoustic guitar set that Prince did alone on stage, just him and his guitar. It started with Little Red Corvette and ended with Purple Rain. Wow.

2. Bon Jovi in 1987 and then again in 2008. In 1987, they played the Rosemont Horizon and we had 12th row. In 2008, I sat in the nosebleed seats at the United Center. Both amazing nights with no hint that Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora had aged at all during those 21 years.

3. Rick Springfield in the fall of 1984 at Poplar Creek. This was the first concert I attended without my parents and I remember singing and dancing to him all night. As I've said before, I learned about lust from Rick Springfield in 1984 and then gave me refresher courses in 2007 and 2008.

4. Brooks & Dunn's Neon Circus Tour in 2001 and 2002. If you want a Southern Rockin' good time, you must see Brooks and Dunn's Neon Circus Tour. Unfortunately, they just broke up, but I got lucky enough to see this tour twice. Both nights, I went home with a very sore throat from singing at the top of my lungs. Boot scootin' fun at its finest.

5. Jimmy Buffett. I've seen Jimmy Buffett so many times I've lost count. I started seeing him as a kid with my mom and kept seeing him well into adulthood on my own with friends. I've celebrated quite a few birthdays at Buffett concerts and consider myself a Parrothead through to my core.

6. Handel's Messiah in the National Cathedral in 1993 and 1994. The first two years I lived in Washington, D.C., I made it my business to get tickets to Handel's Messiah at the National Cathedral. You have not heard it done until you've heard it done there.

What are your favorite concerts?

C is for Cleavage*

By now you may have heard that Katy Perry's appearance with Elmo on the New Year's Eve episode of Sesame Street has been pulled because the video of rewritten Hot N Cold duet with Elmo that was released to You Tube was just a little too hot for many parents.

It seems that Katy Perry's cleavage was more than many parents wanted their 3-year-olds exposed to. After seeing the video, I have to say I can understand and agree with Sesame Street's decision to nix the video. Katy is showing a little more of her breasts than I'd want my kids seeing on children's television. It's my opinion that kids today are exposed to too much sex (and violence and other adult themes) way too early and we should let them be innocent kids as long as possible.

All of that said, couldn't the makers of Sesame Street just use some computer graphic technology and put a shirt on Katy rather than that flesh colored practically nipple-baring get-up or at least make the yellow part of the dress come up a bit higher?

What do you think? Watch the video below and let me know if you think Sesame Street was right to cave to the pressure of parents or if Katy's dressed appropriately for today's preschoolers.

*Thanks to my friend Tim on Facebook who originally used the "C is for Cleavage." I loved it and took it for this blog post.

Moments

I've been thinking about life's moments lately. I'm not really sure why I've been focused on individual moments rather than entire events. Maybe it's because I've been working on checking off items on my Bucket List. Maybe it's because of a song I can't get out of my head by George Strait called The Breath You Take. Whatever the reason, I can't get the words "life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away."

Every time I hear this song, my eyes well up. Trust me, yours will too.



The Breath You Take by George Strait
He looks up from second base dad’s up in the stands
He saw the hit, the run, the slide there ain’t no bigger fan
In the parking lot after the game he said
“Dad I thought you had a plane to catch”
He smiled and said “Yeah son I did”

Chours
Life’s not the breaths you take
The breathing in and out
That gets you through the day
Ain’t what it’s all about
Ya just might miss the point
Try’n to win the race
Life’s not the breaths you take
But the moments that take your breath away

Fast forward fifteen years
And a thousand miles away
Boy’s built a life he’s got a wife
And a baby due today
He hears a voice saying “I made it son
He said “I told you dad you didn’t have to come”
He smiles and says ”Yeah I know you did”

Chours

Just like it took my breath when she was born
Just like it took my breath away when dad took his last that morn

Life’s not the breaths you take
The breathing in and out
That gets you through the day
Ain’t what it’s all about
Ya just might miss the point
If ya don’t slow down the pace
Life’s not the breaths you take
But the moments that take your breath away

Then this morning, a friend of mine posted the RadioLab video "Moments" below on Facebook.