Strumming again.

This week I started playing my baritone ukulele again.

I recently made myself take the day off. No day job, no program work, no wedding work, no busy work like paying bills or running errands.

Just off. Sabbath. Snow day.

Most of the day was spent catching up with a friend, watching YouTube, falling asleep in my hammock, and playing music.

Out of all these things, I was most surprised by how much I needed to hold an instrument again.

I don’t find a lot of time to play music these days and sitting back down with my uke was like sitting down with an old friend. I refreshed my fingers on how to play chords that gave me trouble last time I cradled my uke, and I printed out the sheet music to a few songs I love.

Among them were “Moon River” by Audrey Hepburn, “You Look So Good in Love” by George Strait, and “Don’t Worry Baby” by the Beach Boys.

As I sang these songs, I was reminded again of how beautifully music opens up a door inside me. In singing and playing, I feel safe to open and release and feel my emotions more than in any other setting. Some of my deepest sorrows and most impactful moments of revelation and resolve unfold at the sound of an instrument.

I am so grateful for music, for sound, for the gift it continually becomes to me.