Music as a marker for a time in your life

I'm sure most people experience this....  that music is a marker for a time in your life, and certain songs will remind you of good times, or people.

Right now, I'm associating a lot of music with good times with my kids....  so much music, particularly Panic at the Disco! and My Chemical Romance, reminds me of long car rides with my beautiful daughter, who is also one of my best friends.

My son plays lots of works on piano, and there is just about nothing better than being at home, doing something like cooking dinner, and being unintentionally serenaded by my son rehearsing either his original music, or songs like Yiruma's "River Flows In You".

In the future, I know I will listen to these songs, and be reminded of a beautiful time in my life.

As I mentioned below, I recently discovered that Stellar* is playing a few shows, and I went back and listened to them.  The singer, Boh Runga, has a sister named Bic Runga, and I went back and listened to her music.

When my son was maybe three or four, I used to take him driving so he would fall asleep.  I would play him Bic Runga's "Drive" and the lull of the car ride and the soft music would put him to sleep.  Hearing those songs remind me of those peaceful moments.

One song on that album, "Sway" reminds me of the American Pie movies and soundtracks, and when I listen to those, I'm reminded of my friend Shirley.

Shirley and I were very close.  She was one of my best friends, and I treasured our platonic relationship.  She passed away from cancer a few years ago.  Today was the first time I revisited a lot of the songs on the American Pie soundtrack, and they remind me of good times with Shirley.

Memories are difficult to process, especially when you lose someone the way I lost Shirley to cancer, but the music that remains reinforces and maybe even emphasizes the positive and good times that we shared.