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Yesterday at 7 am, my seven-year-old daughter woke up feeling tired and grumpy due to a few late nights and fighting off the flu! She had a slightly croaky voice, and the smallest thing seemed to upset her. She was loudly complaining that she had a sore ankle which she was unable to walk on and a headache. She started to cry and despite any comfort, the rest of the family tried to give her, she soon wound up in a full-blown tantrum.
While everyone was very empathetic and did manage to calm her down eventually, by the time she had finished her tantrum—the rest of the family that felt on edge and stressed! The same daughter who was having the tantrum, who was now feeling a lot better, suggested that I play the music “don’t stop thinking about tomorrow,” by Fleetwood Mac. In a matter of moments, the whole family was singing and dancing around the kitchen to this upbeat music, and the mood of the house changed completely. My daughter was dancing on the foot that only minutes before she was unable to walk on and her headache had completely vanished!!
This reminded me of the power of music to transport and uplift us to a place where we feel better almost instantly. It was a reminder to me to incorporate the joy of music more into my life more regularly. I thought in our relationships rather than sometimes reasoning, arguing or lecturing a point, why not put on some music and have fun together instead? It made me realise; music is not a luxury or some indulgent artistic part of our culture but in many ways a creative gift that is an essential tool in reminding us of our true, joyful, happy nature.
Music can be used to ground us and remind us of what is important in life. That is going beyond our defences such as anger and sadness and connecting in a fun-filled way. Music can help us to tap into the joy of life that is all around us all the time when we learn how to see it.
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