A sunset that takes your breath away.  Love that’s passionate and deep.  Grief that reaches to the depth of your soul.  Even to your bones.

There are no words.

Oh sure, you try.  Try to explain how you feel.  What you see.  Taste.  Smell.  But the words just aren’t enough.  They don’t express the deepest Love.  Laughter.  Longing.

That’s why we have music.

Say the words “And you can tell everybody that this is your song.  It may be simple but, now that it’s done, I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is when you’re in the world.”  They’re pretty good.

When put to music?  Magic.  Deeper. You feel it in your whole body.

OR what about, “Walk on, walk on with love in your heart, for you’ll never walk alone.”  Again, good words.  Even great words.  And when the music is added?  I tear up every time.  The music touches places that the words alone don’t.

At a time like this, we need music more than ever.  Music that expresses the totality of human expression.  Joy, sorrow, laughter, anger. All of it.  Not only that, but we need music that uplifts and inspires us..  Music that reminds us of a reality that still exists outside the tiny one we’re living in right now.

Want to climb a mountain?  Do it in song.

Dance?  There are a million songs that help you do that.  Right in your own home.

Trust in a brighter future?  Sing it.

Even music without words at all, like Beethoven’s Symphony #5, or Dvorak’s New World Symphony #9 (here’s a clip of the last movement)

And the best of all?  Sing along.  Get your whole body into it. Your whole heart.  Move.

Right now we're all dealing with something profoundly traumatic.  We're grieving.  The loss of our freedom.  A job.  Our life's savings.  A loved one.  There aren't words to express how we feel.

When words aren’t enough, use music.

What music have you turned to when you wanted to express something too deep for words?  Leave a comment.