One Note From Peace

Sleep training. Online school. Health challenges. Mental health challenges. Fatherhood. Marriage. Family. Work. Bills. Yeah, it’s a lot and some days it feels like it’s too much. My way of soothing frayed nerves? Music. I’ve always loved music. Every type of music — oldies, rock, alternative, country, R&B, freestyle, soft rock, and on and on.

Sometimes when I’m almost to the point of combustion, I get in my car and drive. I don’t know where I’m going, I’m just driving. I turn the music on and I know that I’m literally one note from peace. I hear that first note, I’m exhaling. I hear the first word, I’m breathing. I feel a calmness fall over me and the anxiety slowly alleviating. When it’s a song I really love, it’ll take me back to a memory and I can feel joy peaking its head back into my space.

I laugh to music. I cry to music. I dance to music. I reminisce and remember. Old friends. Loved ones who have passed. A fantastic concert. A trip. A song my kids love. A song that reminds me of my wife. Music is a cure and a healer when I need it most. Even if it’s temporary — it’s what I need to recharge and get myself back on track.

What’s a song or album you listen to when you’re stressed?