April 20, 1941 – November 10, 1997

This Sunday’s Playlist is dedicated to my mom, Angela, who would have been 67 today. (Please note that if you do follow that link above, I included it in the interest of full disclosure. I wasn’t all light and rainbows when it came to my mom. In fact, after she died, I was still angry at her — angry that she succumbed, that she wasn’t stronger, that she didn’t rail against death; scream and fight to live. That’s when I wrote the poem. And I feel bad about it, but it memorializes my experience of her death, and I need it to exist.)

Anyway. About the playlist:
her favorite song was “Amazing Grace,” and I think of her whenever I hear it, so it had to be here.

The Indigo Girl’s “Power of Two” is included on this playlist because I once told my mom that I’d dedicate it to my Dad at his funeral, and I remember her pause, as if perhaps hurt that our relationship didn’t inspire such song dedications. I never dreamed that a year later, I’d be attending her funeral.

Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word,” was our theme song. I’d play it after many an argument, and it always reminds me of us.

Finally, at my wedding, I played Enya’s “On My Way Home,” and I include its lyrics here to mark her birthday.

I have been given

I remember all the good days

PLAYLIST FOR ANGELA

On My Way Home/Enya

Language or the Kiss/Indigo Girls

Amazing Grace/Mahalia Jackson

Accidentally Like a Martyr/Warren Zevon

No Blue Sky/Thorns

Sail Away/David Gray

Do You Realize?/Flaming Lips

For A Dancer/Jackson Browne

Far Away/Nickelback

Rowing Song/Patty Griffin

Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word/Elton John

Power of Two/Indigo Girls