Always and Forever
I woke up this morning feeling tired. I knew I needed to get my energy up so I decided to turn on some music. And when I need to get my groove going, I turn Barry White on.
With a cup of coffee in hand, I began to dance around my living room, connecting to my soul. It felt soooo good as I absorbed the morning. I wasn’t ready for this time to be over, so I sat down to take the music in a little more. That’s when I thought about my dad. He passed away just over 16 years ago at the very young age of 54.
Thoughts of Daddy and me dancing at my first wedding flashed in my mind. We began our father/daughter dance with a slow song and segued into some funky tunes. That’s one of the things I loved about Dad the most: he knew how to be silly and get his groove on. I have so many good memories of him. What’s interesting is that I’ll go months at a time where I don’t think of Dad much. And then there are mornings like today where I miss him terribly. So I sat and cried for a moment reminiscing about him. That’s when Marvin Gaye came on, singing “Let’s Get It On.” I thought, “Well, that’s my cue to get up and move.” But instead, I sat there listening a little more.
Luther Vandross made his way next into my living room with “Always and Forever.” This brought back memories of my first wedding again. Luther sang to my late hubby Steve and me as we stepped onto the floor to do our first wedding dance. Only “Here and Now” was the song of choice then. More memories. More tears.
So I had to question myself. “Am I just tired? Or is this my hormones?” I sat with myself for a moment to take it all in. That’s when I knew it was my soul speaking to me.
People come in and out of our lives, sometimes for a moment, and sometimes they stay for a lifetime. And even in the briefest of moments or through a song on the radio, they touch our souls. So this story is a tribute to these men who have touched my life. To Daddy, you always loved me and stood by me. To Steve, you were a wonderful hubby and daddy to our kids. To Barry, Marvin and Luther, if you’re watching from above, you know the many times I’ve made sweet love to your songs and the times I’ve gotten my groove on. Thank you to all of you. You are gone now. But you still live in my soul…always and forever I will hold you in my heart.