Music Makes Me Happy

This morning I asked my oldest daughter what makes her happy and this is what she said.
Marching band makes me happy. I asked her why and she said, she loves to make music. I have thought about this many times before, but to have my daughter tell me something that I have always believed made me want to post about it.

It is amazing what emotions music can give to you.

Sadness
Anger
Joy
Fear
Love
Happiness
Etc.

I recently read an article in Psychology today about a study done in Canada on how the brain works when listening to music. According to the article, just like when we eat and sleep, dopamine is released into our brains while listening to music. It is a beautiful thing we have. It is not known why music does this to us, but it does. 

I love music. I would dare say that it is one of the most important aspects in my life. It has saved me numerous times. I have a HUGE list of music that brings my soul happiness and joy. I have those that I listen to when I am having a rough time in my life. I love that music can reach my soul when I am so low that I can't find my way out of the darkness alone. I spend a majority of my week immersed in music things. I play the Saxophone with a quartet every week and I love to sing and am currently trying out for a couple of choirs. I could literally listen, sing, or play music all day. I just love it.

This video that I have added to this post was one that I found yesterday and it really hit me hard and I cried while listening to it.I have had several friends and family in situations such as portrayed in the video that it hit a special place in my heart and I was able to feel the emotions for those people as if they were right here in my presence. Music truly touches the hearts of all.

I hope you enjoy the video, I have also added it to the link list on the right side of the page. I hope you will listen to it and enjoy it whenever you need a good cry, or just want to enjoy a beautiful song. May this song and all music remind you that when life is hard, Don't let go. Keep trying. Have faith. Stay strong. You are all amazing people!

What are some of your favorite songs to listen to when you need a lift in your heart and spirit?

May music fill your souls with light and love every day!


Here is a link to some Psychology today articles on Music- There are a bunch of them! Enjoy!

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/why-music-moves-us

What more can I say?

First of all I want to apologize for not writing much this year. I plan on doing better. To be honest with you I haven't had the desire or energy to post on this blog. Depression hit me hard this year. It has been rough and I had very little desire to do much of anything.

Good news, I am doing better than I was. Life is still hard, but I am handling it a little better than I was. There are some crazy things we are dealing with as a family right now that have pretty much consumed my life. I am currently looking for a job to alleviate some of the stress we are feeling. That should help. 

I have a lot on my mind. I feel like I need to share it and so I am going to. This could make this a very long post. I apologize for that. I know that there are people out there who won't read it because it is long, but that is okay. I just need to say this. If you stick around, you may find something valuable in what I write. Here goes.

What more can I say? 

I often wonder what life will bring,

if it will be good in the summer, fall, winter, or spring?

What will we do if the trials do come?

Will we give up and go home,

Or try to stay strong?

How will we know what to say to our friends,

who struggle with trials that have no end?

Do we know what they suffer,

Do we know where they've been?

What can we do to help them and when?

Perhaps love is the answer

that all of us seek,

each minute, each hour, each day, and each week. 

For everyone fights hard battles each day.

We don't know how long,

and we don't know which way.

Love in the hard times, 

from the beginning to the end.

For we know not what they have to endure,

or where they have been. 

What more can I say, that hasn't been said?

Love is the answer and it always has been. 

-Written by yours truly. 

Why am I writing poetry? Seriously, this just came to my head. I hope it makes sense. It does in my head. I am about to tell you why it has come to me. 

I recently had a cousin, who was an amazing example to me, take her life. (ok it was two years ago) She was married, had a beautiful dog, and family and she seemed to have a really great life. To this day I have no idea why she ended her life.  It doesn't begin there, or stop there. In 6th grade my friend took his life. In 8th grade another friend took his life. As an adult I have had several friends who have taken their lives. Do I know all the reasons? Unfortunately I do not know all the answers. I do not know what kind of lives any of these people had to endure. I don't know if they were in abusive situations at home. I do not know if they struggled with same sex attraction, or if they felt unwanted in anyway. I have no clue. What I do know, is that no matter what they were dealing with, I loved them all very much and each one was hard in different ways. 

Love is important, but if you never tell someone you love them, you never show them how much they mean to you, they will never know. I loved my friend in 6th grade, however I never let him know. I loved my friend in 8th grade, but again I never let him know. I loved my cousin dearly and looked up to her, but again, I never really told her how much I loved her. I rarely even saw her.  I promised myself early in life that I would love people, and not only love them, but tell them what they mean to me and show them. I still failed my cousin.  In college I had a really good friend. He was funny, and quirky, and just a wonderful person who dedicated his life to serving others. After I got married and a few years down the road, I heard that he took his life. I later found out that he suffered from Same Sex Attraction. He was Gay and had struggled to find a balance between living a gospel centered life and being Gay. Did that knowledge make me love him less? Absolutely not. It made me love him even more and it broke my heart even more that I didn't try to stay in touch with him after college. Could I have supported him, or loved him more so that he would still be here? So many thoughts came to my mind.  (so many mixed emotions)

So many people in the world deal with so many different trials. We don't know what they are dealing with. I know people who have been married to their spouses for 16+ years and have children who have never told their family that they deal with Same sex attraction (and have since forever) because they are afraid to lose what they have. I know people who are choosing to live gospel centered lives because they believe the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and they want to keep the commandments even though they are gay (I know quite a few of these people and they are AMAZING!). I know people who have given up on the gospel but so badly wish that the church would change their policies so that they don't feel that conflict. I know people who struggle with depression on a daily basis and think about ways they can end their lives. I know people who just want someone to love them.  I know people who struggle so hard with everything in their lives. I know people who struggle financially, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Everyone struggles with something. Everyone. 

The important thing for us all is to try our very best to let people know they are loved! We need to show them love, we need to stop judging people, we need to be friends, we need to let petty things go, we need to forgive, we need to let go of hate (even if you don't agree with someone) and just love. We need to LOVE. 

Love is the answer. Love will win. We need to forgive and Let God take care of the rest. None of these trials are easy for anyone. I know for myself that I have a lot of questions and honestly may not know the answers to until I reach the other side of the veil. God will have the answers. 

Love, not just love, but UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Love without boundaries, without borders, without conditions. Simply Love no matter what. 

What more can I say?