Today is of course the 14 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  I think we all remember where we were on that day and what happened.  I was going to campus for my senior year of college at BYU.  We heard on the radio of a small plane accident in New York and then I got up to campus and knew immediately it was more than that.  Everything was so quiet and everyone was on their cell phones, which at the time seemed really strange (funny ha!).

I then went to my philosophy class and we watched the coverage.  When they said the Pentagon had been hit I remember literally thinking ‘is this the end?’.  It felt like the end of the world. 2001 had been a very difficult year for my family with my Grandpa and 2 cousins passing away that year.  Then 9/11 happened so you can imagine why I came to that conclusion.

Of course it was not the end of the world but it certainly was the beginning of a new journey for our country. One I worry we have become too complacent about.  We need to do all we can to support our brave men and women who serve in our armed forces and try to elect people who will protect our country both spiritually and physically.

Anyway, one of the things that gets me through hard times is music, and sometimes I need music that can express sadness.  And if I learned anything from Inside Out it is that sadness is an important part of being a healthy person.  And music can help us cope with grief, loss, loneliness and many other sad moments in life.

So this week for the Friday Five the theme is sad songs, or ‘songs that make me cry’.  I chose 2 country songs, which I think is a medium that is particularly good at storytelling. I have one Broadway song from West Side Story, a gospel song from the Celtic Women, and a jazz number from a forgotten singer named Jimmy Scott who you should all look up.  He has such a unique voice.

I hope you enjoy my choices and give them a listen too.  Hopefully don’t cry!