The Gift of Music

On Tuesdays, Emily hosts "Unwrapping Tuesday," which highlights a sliver of life that might be small, unexpected, or something that often goes unnoticed--a gift, if you will.

Here's my gift for this rainy Tuesday. I hope you'll join in and see what gem you can unwrap on Tuesdays.


Born into a musical family, I learned to play piano at an early age. Through the years, I’ve played for choirs, weddings, parties, funerals. And on dismal days, I’ve sat at the piano and played away my blues. The sound of music always brings a certain amount of comfort and stability to my world.

One night, years ago, a storm blew into our area. Torrential rains beat against the windows, as lightening exploded in jagged fingers across the dark sky. Suddenly, the lights went out, filling the house with darkness and frightening my little daughter, who was a toddler at the time.

When she began to cry, I took her in my arms and started softly singing. After a few minutes, I got distracted by a noise outside and stopped momentarily to listen. That’s when she touched my face and said, “Sing, Mama.”

Thoreau wrote: “When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe.”

As for me, I can’t imagine a world without it. Like food to the body, music feeds my soul.


Adapted from the article, The Healing Powers of Music, by Dayle Allen Shockley.