What Music Moves You?

Dancing.

That’s what I miss most.

Since dealing with more symptoms from my multiple autoimmune illnesses, I miss being able to dance until my heart’s content.

There’s just something about blasting music that makes even the shittiest chores fun. Well… maybe not fun, but tolerable.

Music gets you moving. You can lose yourself in the beat, the lyrics, and the whole vibe of a song.

I might be less mobile these days, but I can still dance in my chair while I pay bills every week. My girls know it’s going down when Mom has the jams blaring.

And that’s one thing I’ve definitely passed on to them.

Inky likes to bake to Metallica and Linkin Park. Ruth is rarely without her earbuds.

But music goes deeper than just making boring shit more tolerable.

I’m sure you can relate.

Has a song ever caught you completely off guard? Maybe it sparks a memory so strong and emotional that you can’t help but start the song over and practically hallucinate the day that song became embedded in your mind.

I especially love when those are happy memories.

“Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker reminds me of the birth of our firstborn. One of the nurses was singing it, and I mentioned how much I liked the song. Then I shared that Darius Rucker was the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish in the ’90s.

For whatever reason, that little moment stuck with me. Now the song takes me right back there.

“I’ll Always Come Back” by KT Oslin takes me back to when my mother worked for the Census Bureau and was on the road all the time. She used to play that song for me before she left and told me that when I missed her most, I should listen to it.

It became our anthem through the good times and the bad—from when I had to leave for college to when she was fighting cancer.

She’s been gone for 17 years now, and when I listen to that song, I still feel like she’s with me in spirit.

Fuck cancer, man.

Then there’s Selena.

Her music takes me straight back to my childhood, but now it has also become a way for me to bond with my own girls. My youngest especially—we love dancing and singing to Selena together.

Getting to visit the Selena Museum, pay our respects at her grave, and see her memorial statue was an amazing experience.

Cuz… anything for Selenas.

Metallica’s 2017 Hardwired Tour became the soundtrack to remodeling our “new” home. That tour also gave my husband and me an amazing surprise concert date together.

It was such a great night, and to this day, so many of Metallica’s songs can make my stress melt away.

How could they not?

It’s Metallica!

Then we have P!nk.

“What About Us”—if that isn’t a song that makes you feel united and seen, I don’t know what is.

“Turbulence” reminds me how thankful I am for my husband, who is always there for me when I’m battling my anxiety.

And “Get the Party Started” is a straight-up banger when I’m cleaning or getting ready for an outing.

Actually, if I’m being honest, I can jam to P!nk on pretty much any occasion. Hands down.

And if you can ever make it to one of her concerts, GO!

We went to the 2024 Summer Carnival Tour, and it was amazing. She is so active, entertaining, and welcoming of every walk of life that somehow, even in a massive crowd, you feel like you’re part of her family.

And, as you know, I’m from Texas, so there’s absolutely no way I can talk about music without mentioning George Strait.

“Baby Blue.” “The Chair.” “The Fireman.”

I can sing them word for word, beat for beat.

“I Cross My Heart” is my parents’ song, and if I’m being honest, it also says a lot about how I feel about my own Prince Charming.

And when life gets really hard, “Through the Fire” by The Crabb Family can surround you with faith and remind you of God’s strength. It’s one of those songs that makes you feel like maybe you really can handle what life has thrown at you—and come out shining on the other side.

Because life can be a witch sometimes.

It catches you off guard. Knocks you down. Makes you want to crawl right back into bed and decide you’ll adult another day.

But sometimes, music can help.

So have a playlist ready for every occasion.

Have one for the good days.

Have one for the shitty days.

Have one for cleaning the house, falling in love, remembering people you miss, finding your faith, dancing in your chair, and those days when you need to remind yourself exactly who the hell you are.

Then blast that music.

Shake dat ass.

And finish the day with your strongest track, because you’re a badass.

And every badass deserves an anthem.