The Soundtrack of Your Life: How Music Connects Us to Memory, Identity, and Healing

🎧 I've had music on my mind a lot lately. Every time I hear a song that holds memories for me I am transported right back to the place and time I first heard that song. Maybe it’s the raw emotion of a song that played during a pivotal chapter in my life, or maybe it's the joy of a track that lit up my serotonin that made me have a perfect day. To me, music is more than just background noise, it’s a living entity that holds our memories, our struggles, our transformations. Have you ever felt that feeling inside when a song you like starts playing and your body starts moving? That's it! Music makes us come alive. 

Today's world moves so fast and asks so much of us, and music gently invites us to take a pause. I love music because it helps us to remember and also to feel. 

Music as Memory

It’s no coincidence that a single chord can bring us to tears or laughter. Our brains store music differently than words, embedding it deep into the emotional center of our memory. The song playing when you lost a loved one, the mixtape from your first love, the lullaby you sang to your kids or your niece or nephew. All of this lives on, long after the music has stopped and there'll be more music to come to store even more memories. Sometimes our own thoughts and ideas get buried beneath our memories. Revisiting music from our past can be a gentle way to reconnect with who we were and what we've survived. I know it does for me.  

Music as Identity

Our playlists say more about u than we realize. The angst of our teen years. The empowerment of our survival or the self-care we are needing right in this moment. Maybe we need quiet, acoustic tracks for a bit of rest. Maybe we need pumped up jams to get us going. Maybe we're feeling sad or melancholy and we need to commiserate with our old friend music. For me, there are many songs that take me back. James Blunt You're Beautiful was playing when I had my last visit with my amazing grandmother. I'll never forget that song and it always reminds me of her and how we'll never be together again. 

A few years ago, I lost my step-father, a truly one of a kind father to me and beloved grandfather to my kids. It broke my heart that he and my mom had to face the harsh reality that his cancer was not going to go away and they weren't going to be together. As I wallowed in this reality as well, I kept hearing the song A Thousand Years by Christina Perry o the radio. Even today, I can't listen to this song without feeling the pain of losing him. The pain for our family, my mom, and because the world lost one of its kindest humans. 

As we grow and experience milestones in our lives, our personal soundtrack continues to grow as well. Sometimes, it hurts and sometimes it brings joy to rediscover the songs we once loved. This reminds me of a dark time in my life and for real, my soundtrack was extremely dismal at that time. A few years later I listened to that playlist and I realized that it was a dark time and I was struggling, but these songs got me through that tough time and through that transition in my life. I evolved over time and music helped me to pave that way to a renewed sense of being. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I listened to TheFatRat on repeat while I was writing my book. That soundtrack had so much energy and power and it really kept me going. I love that I can always go back and tap into that energy at any time. 

Music gives us permission to show up exactly as we are: fierce, uncertain, joyful, messy, resilient.

What songs are you feeling right now? I've got a few. Otis Redding's Dreams to Remember is playing right now as I write this. Earlier this morning listened to Djo's End of Beginning on repeat for a while. I've been seeing signs in my life everywhere that I need to slow down, stop and take a breather, and rejuvenate and I really need to listen to these messages from the universe. And just like that, the song Turn, Turn, Turn pops up on my player. Well, isn't that a great message in real-time!

Music as Self-Care

When the world feels loud and overwhelming, music can offer us a safety net. It lets us scream without making a sound (unless we want to scream out loud to Alanis's You Oughta Know). Music lifts us when we need courage, and holds us when we need comfort. For me, music has been a companion during hard days in the library (I have a playlist just for my library and it starts out with Devil Town by Tony Lucca). I am no stranger to making playlists. I made multiple song lists during my battle with cancer. And after, continuous soundtracks for the healing process and going forward. Looking back at my Youtube channel, I have made at least one playlist every year for the last ten years. These playlists filled with songs that speak to me in many different ways have helped me to cry, breathe, celebrate, and find hope again. 

Whether it’s a morning coffee track or a work out playlist or a calming bedtime list of songs that soothe your soul, your playlist can be a powerful self-care ritual. I would highly recommend using the app Shazam to capture song artists and titles when you hear a new song you like. 

If you could make a playlist of five songs that calm or encourage you, what would they be? If you make the list, all you need to do is press play when you need a little balance or a calming session. When I'm feeling nostalgic I look for hidden gems in my life's soundtrack. The songs that live in our minds and hearts aren’t just echoes from the past, they’re signposts. We can look at them as reminders, anchors, and many times they are lifelines.

So, what’s on your soundtrack? What songs tell the story of who you’ve been - and - who are you becoming?

Whether you need to cry, celebrate, heal, or just breathe, there is music out there waiting just for you. Go find it. Or, let it find you 😊 

I'm going to share my favorite morning playlist that I just happened to stumble across one day about a year ago. It changed my life! 

Morning Coffee ☕ Happy Music to Start Your Day

Wishing you rest, resilience, and rhythm,

🎶 the Compassionate Librarian 🎶

Out of the Cave and Into the Library: Finding Light in a World of Shadow

 

Why Are We Hiding in the Shadows?

 

“Awakening is like turning on a light. You can’t make someone see it, but once you do, you can never unsee the truth.”

— Unknown

A Peek Into Plato’s Cave

There’s a reason Plato’s Allegory of the Cave still echoes through time. It’s not just a tale from ancient philosophy, it’s a story grounded in reality.

Imagine this, you’ve been living in a dark cave your entire life, chained in place, only able to see the wall in front of you. Behind you, there’s a fire. And between the fire and your back are people walking by, carrying objects, but you can’t see them. You can only see their shadows on the wall. That’s your whole world. The shadows become your truth.

Then one day, you break free. You stumble out of the cave and into the light. At first, it’s blinding. Confusing. Overwhelming. But slowly, your eyes adjust. You begin to see what the world really looks like—color, form, depth, real people and not just shadows.

And here’s the twist, once you understand the truth, you feel called to go back into the cave. To help others wake up. To say, “Hey… what you’re seeing isn’t the whole story.”

But not everyone wants to hear about it. Because stepping into the light means letting go of what’s familiar.

Plato’s cave is a metaphor for the illusions we live with, the beliefs we don’t question, and the journey toward deeper awareness. It’s about awakening. More importantly, it’s about the courage it takes to go back and hold the light for others.

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Sitting in a dark cave, staring at the flickering shadows on the wall, wondering how to get out or if we even can. Maybe it’s a job, a fear, a system, or even a version of yourself you never meant to become. The shadows become familiar. Even comforting.

And then something shifts.

Suddenly, you’re stumbling toward the light, blinking your way into a new way of thinking or feeling. Sometimes we assume things will always stay the same, and we grow complacent. Do you want to know what I think? You can break free. It might not look the way you might expect it to be, but it’s possible.

For me, that realization first came when I read Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. It was a true aha! moment for me. I began to see that I didn’t have to stay in the dark. That I could choose to step toward the light, even if it was uncomfortable at first. Even if I had to find my own way. I've had to do that many times in my life, I went through a horrible divorce, awful custody battle, dealt with cancer, and lost loved ones. 

The Library as a Threshold

Because I'm a librarian through and through, it means a lot to me to relate this idea of going from the shadows to the light in relation to the library and the work we do. The library is so much more than a building filled with books. It’s a definitely a space for expansion, a threshold between who we are and who we’re going to be. I'm not the same person that I was when I started working in a library all those years ago. Ultimately, when you work in a library you realize that it’s a place where your perception of reality gets challenged and your creativity can bloom.

In a world that is constantly telling us who we are and who we’re supposed to be, libraries whisper, “What do you want to be?” Libraries push our boundaries and stretch us. We can't be contained in the "cave" because as the years go by we expand and grow. This reminds me of when I first started working in a public library. I'd just finished graduate school and was feeling somewhat lost. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. What was my career path? I wondered, would it magically appear for me? My first few months working in the library I knew this was place and these were my people. From there, I made the decision to go back to school and get my master's in library science. 

I've been working in libraries now for twenty years and for me it is more than just a workplace, it's a place of awakening. Through books, conversations, programs, and working closely with vulnerable community  members I have been able to help so many people. I have witnessed the good and unfortunately the difficult unfold. I will always cherish those small moments like when I helped an underprivileged teen find other teens to bond and socialize with, or when someone who is unhoused whispers “thank you” because they finally felt seen.

The Shadows Still Linger

Let’s be honest: even in libraries there are shadows. These are the shadows we’re still fighting everyday. Censorship, underrepresentation, misinformation, burnout, and the invisible systems that shape who gets to speak and who gets silenced. We should not fear these shadows, that’s also why we do the work we do and why it matters. Because we’re not just reading books all day long (although, that's what many people think), we are actually holding up the lanterns to light the way through the shadows. We need to keep walking, even when the light is uncomfortable. We must continue to walk through the shadows ourselves.

Searching for the Light, Together

Plato’s cave isn’t just about leaving the shadows, it’s about returning and going back for the others. It's about carrying the light with you, even when you’re tired, even when your voice shakes, even when no one applauds you for it and this happens so much in the library world. I hope you will believe in illumination over illusion. Keep up the work you are doing, you matter, your questions matter, taking care of yourself matters, and your transformation matters.

Maybe that’s why I’m still here. I feel like I've wanted to give up so many times and move on from the library. There's this voice inside of me that says, you're not done yet and this keeps me hanging on. 

Stepping Out Beyond the Cave

Awakening doesn’t always feel like a grand moment. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s painful. Sometimes, it’s just choosing to ask one more question, pick up one more book, or believe in one more possibility. Sometimes, it’s when you feel the most lost and lonely and then suddenly, you find a little piece of yourself and you come back into the light.

We don’t escape the cave once and for all. We do it over and over again. When we choose growth over standing still. When we question what we’ve been told. When we decide to turn and face the light. In the end, the journey out of the cave isn’t about having all the answers, it's about moving forward and embracing the change. It’s about knowing you can keep seeking and maybe, just maybe it's about turning around and offering your hand to someone else who’s still hanging in the shadows.

Thank you for joining me on this journey through the Consciousness Archives. I'll be back next week to offer more thought provoking ideas on the interconnectedness and mutual interdependence of all things in the universe and of course that includes my favorite place, the library!

Here's to seeing the light,

the Compassionate Librarian