May You Always Find Strength To Carry On

(Uncle Reggie and I - circa 1999)

Time is the true healer of all things painful. Time allows us to accept our emotions and presents us with opportunities to learn how to cope with them. As I get older, I have grown to accept that fact and to allow the magical mysteries of such a thing to carry me through.

Yesterday was the 6th anniversary of the passing of my Uncle Reggie. As I reflect over the past 6 years it's inevitable that things have changed but I am also left with a sense of peace in my heart.

Death and loss touch all of us. We have all had the experience of grief and sadness. We all learn how to carry on.

I see my family keeping Uncle Reggie's memory with them daily. I see my Aunt continuing to live and to love. I see my Father becoming more at peace with loss. I see my cousin, his only son, grow into an incredible man and an inspirational father. Adella, Uncle Reggie's only grandchild, is growing more beautiful by the day.

There is so much to be thankful for despite having suffered loss, and me, well, I am carrying Uncle Reggie's spirit through the music. After his death, I became immediately attached and drawn to a genre of music I had previously given no acknowledgment.

BLUEGRASS!
(I mean, aren't you celebrating grass today anyway?!)

Below is a mix I have created to share with you. It is a follow-up mix to my previous reflection posted here - songs that help me to get through the rough patches that come and go. I hope it brings you a feeling of happiness, peace and love. My only wish for each of you is that you always find the strength to carry on.

Union In Heaven - Polecat Creek
When The Saints Go Marching In - Earl Scruggs & Lester Flatt
Goin' Home - Goose Creek Symphony
Never Grow Old - Patty Griffin
Will You Meet Me Over Yonder - Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Keep On The Sunny Side - The Low Anthem
I'll Fly Away - Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch
May The Sun Always Shine - Olav Larson & The Alabama Rodeo Stars*
Down By The Riverside - Jim Avett and Family
In This Life - Blueground Undergrass
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
I Shall Not Walk Alone - The Blind Boys of Alabama
Your Long Journey - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Salvation Song - The Avett Brothers
Go Rest High On That Mountain - Vince Gill**

*A personal favorite
**Special song for my Aunt Diane, as this speaks directly to her heart