We all have
possessions that we cherish more than our everyday objects…a special gift from
a friend, an heirloom from an estate, a souvenir from a vacation. I have collected so many of those beautiful belongings
that you hold in your hands, given to me by the special people in my life. However, over the years, I have also lost some
of my most prized possessions, which happens when you move as much as we have. You drop a box, you hear the shatter of
breaking glass, and you dread the digging process to discover what you’ve lost.
Lately, I have been so overwhelmed by the devastation
that I have witnessed all over the country…forest fires, flooding, severe
storms. So much loss from coast to coast
– even loss of life – and I feel like a helpless witness as I watch so many
people begin that digging process to discover what they have lost.
On the
Fourth of July, I watched the movie, Peace,
Love and Misunderstanding, because any film that casts Jane Fonda and
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Woodstock residents has to be at the very least engaging. While most of the movie served as holiday
background noise, the final two-minute documentary film made by one of the movie’s
teenage characters packed a punch that was unexpected. The message: Loss is tough. Surviving loss is tougher.
Rising above loss to see where it takes you is the toughest challenge of all.
Just like the
music-loving hippies of the 60’s, I choose the mediums of storytelling, writing, and music to take me to unexpected places…which brings me to MOM’S 82 – the
title of my post. Every life deserves
its own playlist – maybe every season of every decade of every life deserves a
playlist. MOM’S 82 is a playlist I
created during one of the most difficult seasons of my life. Each track has a story – a personal reason
for being on the list. Even now, the
playlist transports me to an elevated place of retrospect and challenges me to
create. Each lyrical selection reminds
me that when loss threatens to swallow up all my hopes and dreams, I still have
eight-two songs of protest.
That’s what
I love about great music and memorable stories – they can be moved from place
to place, decade to decade without fear of loss. You can’t lose your favorite song in a flood
or watch your favorite story be burned up in a fire. You can’t break a playlist like a precious
vase; mildew can never ruin a memory. A
collection of fine china is worthless if a piece is broken or an edge is
chipped or the porcelain is stained; however, that broken piece or rough edge
or stained veneer is what makes MOM’S 82 a cherished collection.
Anyone who
knows me understands that The Tomorrow Trunk is not just my blog; it is my life’s
message – my mission. Take the best of
today, tuck it away, and keep it for tomorrow. No matter what loss tomorrow may bring, your
stories are always yours to keep. Jim Harrison, the amazing author of Legends of the Fall, wrote this quote,
and I wished I had penned it myself: Death steals everything but your stories.
I think I would
have to add…and your favorite songs.
Dianne ; )
