Tag: change

Family Songs, Happy Songs, Love Songs, Singer/Songwriter, Upbeat Songs

SONG OF THE DAY – “WHEN I’M WITH YOU” by Ben Rector

August 25, 2014

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I am finally getting around to posting again. It has been a very spotty summer for me with this blog. This is another one of those crazy weeks, but I really feel that it will be good for me to get back on track.

My daughter left for China yesterday. She is doing a semester abroad in Shanghai and it was so weird to ship her off until Christmas. Although she has been away from home for two years in college, it just feels so far away now! Life changes too quickly. This has been the first year where it has really hit me that my little girl is growing up. I already miss her and am so grateful for wifi and international texting because I am not sure I could bear not being able to chat with her.

On top of that, my son was offered a spot at a Golf Academy for high school. We visited the school this summer thinking that we were looking at it as a potential post-graduate year after high school and then, within a two-week time-frame, he decided to go away to school THIS year. I went from thinking I was going to have my son home with me for two more years, to having my son home with me for three short weeks. I can’t even begin to express how much I am going to miss my buddy.

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So, talk about a busy summer – my emotions have been all over the place! Lots of big life changes. Who knew that by the ages of 15 and 18, both of my kids would be moving out of our home and changing my life so completely. Although life will be different for me, I am happy that both of my children are pursuing their dreams and experiencing so many exciting life adventures. Time for new adventures for me as well.

I am posting a song today by one of my favorite artists. I love Ben Rector! This song is from his 2013 album, The Walking In Between. Ben Rector writes incredible songs and totally captures “the moment.” This song makes me think of my family and this particular moment of ours. On Monday, we were all home together – a family of 4. By Tuesday morning, we had become 3, and in just a few more days … we will be 2. I love my family and being with them brings a purpose to my life that I never expected. Enjoy this fabulous song.

“When I’m with you, I’m who I want to be!”

 

Pop Music, Rising Artist, Singer/Songwriter, Soul, UK Artists, Upbeat Songs

SONG OF THE DAY – “LOVE ME AGAIN” by John Newman

July 30, 2014

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I got home last night after a long, traffic-jammed drive home and had every intention of posting, but after I pulled out my computer and sat down on the sofa, I completely crashed. I was thoroughly exhausted! I am not sure if it was physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion, but I think it was probably a combination of all three.

After spending three full days with the entire family, my daughter went back to her internship in DC, my husband left at 5am Monday morning for a week of business travel, and yesterday I dropped my son off at the airport to fly to Singapore on a short exchange program with his high school. I went from full house to empty house in the space of about 48 hours! It is strange how empty a house seems when you have just been surrounded by the noise and love of the whole family … and then suddenly there is no one.

For me, last night was one of those moments when I realized, “Oh my gosh, it’s almost over; this time in my life is coming to an end.” It is such a strange feeling. My daughter left home much too early (in her mom’s eyes, haha!), leaving for college at age 16. My son is now 15 and I know his time  to leave the nest is approaching much too quickly. I love watching my kids grow up and I think they have become such cool, amazing “grown ups,” but it does not make the realization of it any easier to swallow.

I am currently sitting outside in my beautiful backyard on a gorgeous day and wishing that my children (big version or small version) were running around playing. When everyone is home these days, we are usually running around playing frisbee, but now it is just me and frisbee is a difficult solo game. My husband comes home at the end of the week, my daughter in a little over a week, and my son will be home in a couple of weeks. I won’t have this empty home for long, but (wow!) the taste of it is sobering. In life, CHANGE is the only constant! I have lived my life around that motto, but when this big change comes … I sure hope I am ready for it.

Today’s song doesn’t have much to do with my post today, but I really like this song and the emotional impact the music has on me. I showed the video to both of my kids this last week. Make sure you watch the video all the way to the end. It was a little shocking to me! I said that it was totally depressing, my son burst out laughing, and my daughter just said, “WHAT was that?!” I would love to know your reaction to the video.

John Newman is a young (23-year-old), breakout, English singer and musician that seemed to come out of nowhere in 2013. This song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart in July 2013 and reached the top of the US charts in early 2014. He was one of the most successful English artists last year and was nominated for three Brit Awards in 2014 : British Male Solo Artist, British Single, and British Video. He has a very unique sound that seems to come from a bygone age and is described as soulful pop. He has often been compared as a male version of Adele or Amy Winehouse.

One of my favorite comments made by John Newman in an interview earlier this year:

“I couldn’t give a shit about fame … What felt good coming to America was walking down the street and no one knowing me. There are way too many celebrities in the world at the moment and not enough artists … People have forgotten about the music.”

Folk Rock, Love Songs, Rising Artist, Singer/Songwriter, UK Artists

SONG OF THE DAY – “NOTHING STAYS THE SAME” by Luke Sital-Singh

November 15, 2013

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Do you ever realize that nothing stays the same no matter how much you want it to? Now this is certainly clear in my life with the amount of moving we have done, but I think it is true in everyone’s life. We grow older, our children grow up, the seasons change, the world around us transforms … literally, nothing stays the same. That’s life.

However, I had a “stay the same moment” last night. I received a text from a good friend of mine back in Dallas. She was just  sitting down with a glass of wine to catch up with a friend. Her method of catching up … sitting down at the computer to read my blog and listen to some music. We actually texted back and forth as she worked her way through the songs. From miles away, we were still able to connect. In that moment, things were the same.

Today’s song is by Luke Sital-Singh, an up-and-coming British singer-songwriter from the suburbs of London. I just discovered his music this week and I think it is an amazing new discovery. He has great accoustic ballads and a passionate, soulful voice. There is something about him that seems innocent, sensitive, and impassioned all at the same time. This song has it all – the music, lyrics, and voice – that just completely drew me in. There is  a buzz about him in the UK and the British folk scene and he has been receiving some great reviews. I definitely think he is one to watch and I hope that you enjoy this song as much as I do.

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