The soundtrack to a childhood

A thought has been running through my head lately… the thought is this; what songs remind me of childhood? I think this thought got into my head from watching the NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day from Fenway Park. A Moine Tradition is to invite people over New Year’s Day Morning and watch some beautiful outdoor hockey. Now I know no one comes over just to watch hockey, let’s be honest hockey’s popularity is only a small step above Major League Soccer right now, which is why we make breakfast and opened up our new espresso maker. This year’s Winter Classic was in Boston and being in Boston they had James Taylor sang the national anthem and while James was doing his thing, Ali, one of Alanna’s former small group girls and current small group co-leader, paid attention to the TV for 10 seconds and said; “ooooo, I love James Taylor… James Taylor reminds me of my childhood!” She then went back to working on a puzzle and I didn’t think much about it then but her words stuck in my head.

It’s this idea that an artist and their music can bring about memories and it’s this thought that has led to me thinking about my own childhood and if I have any song s or artist or any type of music that brings back warm memories of growing up. The reality I’m faced with when I stop to think back is this; I can’t really think of anything. My parent’s apparently weren’t really into music and to be honest I’m a little jealous of Ali because James Taylor reminds her of something… I got nothing!

Which then leads me to my complete thought that has been in my head all this week… what songs or artist do I want my kids to have remind them of their childhood? I want to think of this now, way before we have children so that the wife and I can be intentional with our children’s childhood memories. My hope is that I can be intentional in planting great music into the souls of my kids during those early years. I want my daughter to have some artist or song to immediately take her back to memories or warm feeling of love and her youth. I want my son to think of his mom or dad or maybe even an exact memory whenever he hears an artist or a song. I want my kids to have a piece of what Ali has with James Taylor.
So the big question now until we have kids to then brainwash with warm childhood memories is this; what songs do we want to be the soundtrack to our children’s childhood?

I love James Taylor and would love to put his melodies in my children’s hearts

For sure Bob Marley and his easy going reggae vibe I want to flood my children with thoughts of an easier time when the world was simply and easy.

There needs to room for Frank Sinatra and his voice

But other than that I can’t think so anything else, I guess it’s a good thing we don’t have kids yet. I still have time to think about the “movie” that will be the life of my future children and put together the ultimate soundtrack.