I’ve blogged before about how my mom helped make me a positive thinker by developing my confidence, resilience and creativity. There’s something else my mom passed on to me that reinforces my positive attitude on a daily basis: a love of music. (Notice I didn’t say a talent for music—Mom has a beautiful singing voice, I’m the one you don’t want taking the mic on karaoke night.)
How are music and positive thinking connected? Well, music has the power to transform mood almost instantly. Aren’t there certain songs that make you smile, cry or even dance once you hear just a few notes? For Mother’s Day, I put together a short playlist of songs that make me happy because they remind me of my mom.
“I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story
My mom loves musicals and when I was a kid, she always had one soundtrack or another playing on her little record player downstairs. She used to make my brother and me break out into giggle fits by flitting around the house singing “I Feel Pretty.”
“Wonderful World” Sam Cooke
We watched the movie Witness together when it came out. A cover of this song was featured, and afterwards, Mom had to play the original for me. Listening to the “Don’t know much about history…” lyrics, I think it’s funny that she likes this song considering how much she stresses the importance of a good education.
“Que Sera Sera” Doris Day
My mom fell in love with American movies growing up in Shanghai. One of her favorite actresses was Doris Day, and she actually chose her English-language first name in Doris Day’s honor.
“Walk of Life” Dire Straits
Thanks to my mom bringing back the latest in audio equipment from a trip to Hong Kong in the mid-80s, our family had the first CD player in the neighborhood. My brother and I were psyched—the nerdy Chinese kids were cool for once! Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms was the first CD we asked Mom to buy.
“Brother John/Iko Iko” The Neville Brothers
Mom turned me on to The Neville Brothers, and Fiyo on the Bayou remains one of my favorite albums to this day. I can’t listen to this track without getting up and dancing. Neither can my mom.
What song or songs remind you of your mom? Post below and let me know. Happy Mother’s Day!
