You can find music in the most extraordinary places…

It’s easy to recognize the music in birdsong or a train whistle; a fire truck siren or a doorbell. But if you listen…really, really listen, it’s in everything

When the wind is whipping through the trees howling out it’s melancholy song of life ended too soon or lost loves or loneliness, then finds that almost imperceptible crack in your carefully built house and the howl becomes a slightly more joyful whistle. When your cat curls up on your lap and begins to purr contentedly (or in my case when a second one joins in and you really hear the highs and lows in their throaty voices). When the water zings out of the shower head to plip plop on the floor of the tub, singing a merry tune as the droplets dance to music of their own making. When fresh vegetables hit the oil sizzling in the bottom of a wok, their voices higher or lower, louder or softer depending on the density of the vegetable.

These sounds, this music is what I’ve become incredibly attuned to lately. I’m hearing something beyond just the sounds. There’s a melody which runs through our lives, through our world, which usually goes unnoticed.

Don’t just stop and smell the roses. Also, stop and hear the music!

In our world of fast cars, faster computers, electronic everything, I believe we lose sight of the simple wonders all around us, patiently waiting for us to tune back in. I’m sure we noticed them as children, but like the baby in Mary Poppin’s who grew up and could no longer speak to the birds, we’ve simply forgotten. It’s time to reverse the process.

Start with something easy.

When the wind howls, moans and whistles, listen. Try to hear the melody in it’s song. When sirens pass nearby, listen to the rise and fall, the melding of voices as each vehicle’s siren makes a slightly different sound. Stop and enjoy the sound of birds chattering back and forth, mocking the cats in the window or cursing the one who raided their nest.

When you hear the easy ones without effort, push yourself.

When you’ve retrained yourself to hear the obvious songs around you, push a little harder. Hear the music in the water pulsing out of the shower head and dancing in the tub. Explore the different tones the vegetables make as they hit the hot oil or listen to the meat and vegetables sizzling as you prepare chili or pasta sauce. Tune into the cadence of a helicopter or a diesel engine as it idles.

Now that you’re hearing the music all around you, what do you do with it?

I know, it’s all well and fine to hear the music in everything, but we can’t just stand around listening, right? Of course not! Once you can hear it again, you need to rebalance yourself, tune back into that rhythm and follow it…be that rhythm; be that music! If we could all tune back in, I’m convinced that there would be no more wars; no more abuse; no more mistreatment of Mother Earth and in it’s place, love and respect because, no matter what our beliefs, we would be in harmony. Harmony brings acceptance, even appreciation of our differences because without harmony, we would just be a single note, alone and uninteresting.

If you ask me, Barry Manilow had it right all along while being way ahead of his time.

One of my favorite Barry Manilow songs of all time, maybe favorite song period of all time was “One Voice”. I never really knew why, but it always made me feel joyful. I realize now that it also makes me feel connected to everyone and everything; every person, every animal, every freaking blade of grass and every rock! I realize now that the connection is the music in everything around us and the music inside of us. But more, it is our ability to recognize that music if we just retrain ourselves so we remember that wonder we had as a child but were taught to ignore. It’s still there! Pull it out. Examine it. Feel it. Own it.

If a single voice sings its song loudly and confidently, but nobody listens, will the song be wasted?

Frankly, I don’t think it’s possible for even the smallest song, the weakest melody to go unnoticed by someone. We just need to get away from all of our electronics long enough to hear those tunes without amplification, without dubs and remixes, but in their purest, most elemental form, because when we do, our own voices will join in harmony of their own accord. There will be no thought to whether we’re on key or sound right. We’ll simply do what we’re meant to do: blend with the music and add our voice to the fundamental, elemental, universal song.

My Gratitudes tonight are:
1. I am grateful to have been shown the reason I’ve been hearing the music in everything.
2. I am grateful that I have a place to share the things I learn.
3. I am grateful for the loving energy I’m feeling after writing this post and listing to “One Voice”.
4. I am grateful for, and humbled by my part in the harmony of the Universe.
5. I am grateful for abundance: harmony, cooperation, love, music, joy, friendship, peace, health and prosperity.

Blessed Be