Quite the drama to wake up in, I know. Maybe it went along with my dreams...but all I remember from those is chugging a carton of fat-free milk then realizing it was 10 days old, and someone typing loudly in the room next to me whom I needed to tell to stop...hmm maybe that was a woodpecker.
Sometimes life feels more meaningful than others, and right now is one of those times for me. Maybe because of Mercury in retrograde, or the fact that I'm 25 now which feels significant, or the fact that I'm getting ready to leave my hometown again for new places... often it feels all very dramatic. And this song - most definitely one of the greatest songs ever written - equals pure, sweet drama more than any other. As you listen you cannot resist being overtaken by the love, despair, tragedy, romance!!
Growing up my mom drove a white Previa. You know those minivans that look like eggs? They don't make them anymore, but occasionally I still see one around. I grew up with two older brothers, and my mom drove this for most of our childhood. With all the hubbub plethora of activities that equates to having three kids + my mom being a busy working woman, we spent a lot of time in that car while hauled around to various places.
Being the youngest meant there were a lot of times after dropping off my brothers or on the way to a meeting, which I often accompanied my mom to, that it was just my mom and I in the car. Since when you have siblings time alone with either parent is precious, those times in the Previa just her and I were special. A stash of tapes always sat between the front two seats, including musical soundtracks: Evita, Cats, Phantom of the Opera. Guess what our favorite was? Neither of us had excellent singing voices, but we would put in the tape, fast forward to the right part, turn it up, wait for the chorus and finally sing out, "DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA!!!!!!" It was so dramatic.
Last night I went to bed overwhelmed and when I woke up with it in my head this morning my only option was to sing it out. After singing it and feeing it a few more times I felt better.
Thanks Mom, for introducing me to the idea of the power of art. Chances are what you are feeling has been translated by a work of art somewhere, made by someone who is feeling something close to what you are. Find comfort and sing out.
Happy Mother's Day.
PS. Madonna's version seriously compares, and our favorite Glee did it last year very well, but of course I first recommend the classic.
