Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day.  And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Today is the 105th birth anniversary for The Chairman Of The Board. Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 in New Jersey. I may worship Bruce Springsteen, but I completely acknowledge Sinatra as the premiere Jersey legend. The big as life singer, actor & Rat Pack member was a star right from his first job singing live on the radio in 1938 and rode the wave of that success until his death 60 years later in 1998. He remains an iconic figure not just in entertainment but in pop culture as a whole.

His music was a staple during the Christmas season of my young childhood courtesy of my maternal grandmother. Yet today’s song is not one I remember hearing then. I stumbled upon a more contemporary rendition last month which led me to Sinatra’s. His version reconnected me to those early holidays and to my grandma decades after we shared our last Christmas together. The flood of memories music ignites in us, especially this time of year, is another example of its immense power in our lives. And a bonus to this wondrous season.

“Frosted window panes
Candles gleaming inside
Painted candy canes on the tree
Santa’s on his way“.

The Sinatra Family (L-R): Tina, Frank, Nancy & Frank Jr. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Frank Sinatra: “The Christmas Waltz” (1968, written by Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.