On The Street Where She Lives

The other day, while visiting my mother, she told me she had so much stuff that she doesn't know what to do with it.  I suggested either giving it to the Goodwill or tossing it in the street for clean-up week that will be happening.  Then I pointed out a few things I noticed that she has not used that could be tossed.  But everything I pointed to had a reason for her to hang on to them.  Like the old "Fonzi" bike that was rusty, sitting in the backyard that my forty-year-old son last rode when he was maybe seven years old.  Or the piano, with busted keys that sits with boxes under it and is totally out of tune.  She said she couldn't get rid of it as my dad sits down to play it every so often.  I remember he always played by ear whatever song you requested.  He hadn't had a piano lesson in his life but yet could play anything. His favorite to play was "On the street where you live" by, who I believe, was Vic Damone. And he played it with passion.  Sometimes he would even sing along.  But I just can't seem him moving those boxes to sit down and  play as often as she is leading me to believe.

There were also things old neighbors who had past away had given to her that she never used or used maybe one but just had to keep.  Things from neighbors like, Caroline, Hazel, Jeannie…and so on.

There were things from aunts and uncles who had also past away years ago.

She's not a hoarder.  She keeps things in order.  But I really feel she would feel a better sense of calm and relaxation if she could let go of the things.

Then I realized…by my mother hanging on to all those things she felt she was actually hanging on to the physical being themselves.  They had been close to her and to her maybe every time she looked at those things or touched them, she was holding hands with that person, or holding their hand….even though they were no longer here on earth.

Or the piano….hearing my father playing that song with such love and enjoyment as one of the two of them sang along…it was a sight to see.  It brings a smile to my face.

Maybe to me it would be good if she tossed it all out.  But maybe for her it's actually a very good thing to hold on to…until SHE is ready to toss it all….and maybe she never will be ready.

As for now, I realize the meaning of the song, "On the street where you live" means so much more to my mom….the street where she lives, lives on with all those things she keeps at her house.  She is surrounded by her family and neighbors…from the street where she has lived for over 60 years.

And the song in her heart that all those things brings up each time she looks at it keeps playing and playing and keeps her heart happy.  And that's what matters most.

The Magic of Music

It has been a very long time since I have written on my blog.  I have missed it.  I've written on and off in my journal when the moment strikes me.  I get so much relief out of writing.  It helps me to get it all out….all my heart felt feelings.  It strikes every chord in my mind and connects it to the strings in my heart deep down to my soul.

Just like the magic in music of Lionel Richie, writing can sweep me away to a special place..a
place of love and peace and happiness.  Sometimes it takes me to a place of tears…tears that I have dammed up for quite along time and I was afraid what would happen if the dam broke open.

The dam finally did break.  It hurt but at the same time the pressure that was building up against the wall I had built to protect myself felt that it had opened to bring me some relief.  Initially it hurt and I was scared of going through the clean up the flood would bring.  But when the water had lowered, I felt good.   I felt so so good.

Listening to the music concert of Lionel Richie from 2012 in Las Vegas and the words to his songs (on YouTube) helped to connect the the right chords with the right strings to strum in my soul.  I wanted to dance and stay in that virtual moment forever.  I felt every song reached through to all the years of life I had ever experienced.  It touched on those special moments of happiness and fun…when nothing mattered in the world except laughing at fun things…..laying on the beach with the transistor radios all around playing with the same radio station on so that the entire beach became one big stereo.  And remembering how you could look around the beach and see so many people standing up and dancing in the sand that without hesitation I joined in.   Everything was perfect.  You didn't want to leave for home.  Bonfires started up.  Guitars were brought out in the light of the bonfires.  And singing together took over.  Strangers became friends as the songs brought us all together in one unified group because we all knew all the words to the songs.

We would exchange phone numbers or times and days when we would meet  up the next weekend at the same spot for the same wonderful fun.  Social exchange was at it's best.  It wasn't  on- line….it was in person…where you could see the sparkle in a person's eyes when they met up with you…the smile their lips brought to their naturally beautiful faces…the hug of kindness as we would say our good-byes for the evening.  I felt in touch with that time in life again with the Lionel Richie Friends concert.  It felt so good.

I realize I was so fortunate to have had that experience in my past.  And I'm so lucky to be able to connect with the magic of music today.  I realize there are individuals who have a difficult time finding that spot.  But I am a lucky one.  I so easily can tap into those moments in my past so that I am able to connect today with what my mind, my heart and my soul had felt.

So how am I able to reach those wonderful times of the past?  My thought is that sometimes we want to just walk around keeping all this info uninterrupted in calm and peace within us…but then the chaos of life interferes and we can't so easily connect with all the beauty we had and have even though we know all this wonderfulness is there, we just can't quite reach it.  When I sit outside, and either relax in quiet or listening to music in a beautiful place, then I so easily remember, "yes". There it is.  It IS there and it always is if we just relax and realize..we can find the tools to help us to return to reach it again.  And sometimes one of those tools is the beauty of nature combined with the magic of music.

So here's to Dancing on the Ceiling….from dancing in the sand!