SOMETIMES IT’S JUST THIS SIMPLE

I started listening to more 80s and 90s RnB and Soul music in my office at work. I do this more toward the end of the day when I finish my paperwork and sessions with bereavement clients. I noticed a little while ago that I wasn’t listening to this music like I used to. I was getting so busy and caught up with other life stuff that I moved away from doing it. But I know this music grounds me.

That was a mistake. See, I am one of those kids who grew up coming over to my grandma’s to the tunes of RnB groups playing from my aunt’s records in their basement. The sound, the beats, and the harmony of the groups instantly take me back to that time of hope and limitlessness. The kind of inspiration that changes when you grow up. But more importantly, the music also shows the emotional range of my people. It shows men being vulnerable. It shows women being strong. So many things.

Returning to this music also reminded me of the power of simplicity. Not everything in life, or spirituality, has to be complicated. As you know from other posts, some of my spirituality is complex and involved, while others parts are simpler. But sometimes spirituality or spiritual practice isn’t even any kind of formal ritual. Sometimes, it’s just tending to something in life that connects you to the bigger picture. Sometimes, spirituality reminds us to return to some part of ourselves that we lost sight of. The world we all live in can be hard. It can make US hard. We need reminders sometimes to soften our hard edges. To sit. To rest. To refresh. Spiritual practice can be part of that, but it shouldn’t be all of it. But music? Music is everywhere!

If you’re not thinking about it by now, I encourage you to consider simple places in your life that bring you to yourself. You’ll be glad you did.