A copyediting break

So I'm in the middle of copyediting articles right now while listening to Mark's Pandora station and Fire and Rain by James Taylor just came on. In the instant that the song came on, I immediately flashed back to a random Sunday afternoon that seems like yesterday. I was laying on my bed in my old bedroom at my parents' house right about two years ago exactly. I'd heard James Taylor was coming to town in the next couple of months and I'd been debating whether or not to surprise my parents with tickets to see him. You see, my parents had gone to see him many times before when he'd come to a different venue, but this particular concert was pretty pricey and they had other things to spend money on (like my student loans...).

I knew how much they'd enjoy the show and how badly they actually wanted to go, so I randomly got online and bought the tickets. It was one of the best feelings I can describe knowing how happy it would make them. I remember hitting "confirm purchase" and immediately jumping off my bed and walking straight into the loft where my dad was on the computer.

"So... I bought you and Mom tickets to see James Taylor," I told him, barely able to keep the gigantic smile off my face. Of course he argued that I shouldn't have and that I should use them for myself (I love James also), but eventually he and my mom agreed to take the tickets for the show a couple of months ahead.

It was only a few weeks after that day that my dad passed away. Of course the tickets were the last thing on anyone's mind for months, but finally it was a couple of days before the James Taylor concert and, as anyone would expect, it was the last thing my mom wanted to do. So, Mark and I took the tickets so they wouldn't go to waste. I honestly just wanted to go experience something I knew my dad would have enjoyed. It was one of the best nights of my life and something I know without a doubt my dad would have loved just as much as I did.

It's incredible how the smallest instances, like a random song coming on Pandora, can bring back the most vivid memories. As hard as they can be, I live for moments like this where I can relive that feeling for a few seconds. It really is such a blessing to have amazing memories like that to remember. :)

Ps. This was the first picture Mark and I ever took together... at the James Taylor concert!