Love & Music

Adele’s “21” album saved me from making some bad choices a few weekends ago. Especially #3 and #10.

It feels better to be missed than loved…makes my heart & my face big. Two people text me today, “I MISS YOU!”, and both times it felt good. Because I miss them too.

My little cousin, Laura, was one of those people. Her mom & my real dad are brother & sister. She is one of my aunt’s four girls. Even though she is 10 years younger than me, the woman she has grown into makes me love & respect her so much more than the others. She is my favorite.

Laura has two beautiful children by the “love of my life”. He is also the 2nd man she has EVER been with. His smooth-talkin’, charming, handsome, hustlin’ ass just got out of some boot camp, he’s in a halfway house now…and in a few months I fear he’ll be right back at my cousin’s place, bringing hell & havoc into her life. I know she loves and misses him, she wants to make it work for their kids (her daughter adores her daddy, her son barely knows him), she believes this time will be different and he won’t go back to his old ways in the streets. I know better.

Although he is ONLY the 2nd man she have ever been intimate with, he’s been with everybody. He had a son by another woman while he was in a “committed” relationship with my cousin. I know how that hustlin’ lifestyle, been there done that. The money, convenience, trips, clothes, cars and THAT MAN are NOT worth the headache, hassle, heartache, tears, time, energy….She has been through enough shit and she deserves better. Laura is hard-working (always kept a job even when her man was doin’ them, getting’ money), a loyal person, a great mom, an awesome cousin…I just wish she would move on.

I gave her my copy of Adele’s album. I am always giving music away when I am hoping it will inspire someone. When I was in WV in February, I gave my girl, Jimeia, my Badu CD, “Pt. 2 Return of the Ankh”. Her situation is more solid now than it was back then.

My situation is more solid today than it was a few weeks ago.

I’d like to credit Adele for that. If you don’t own the album, you MUST. If you haven’t heard it in it’s entirety, you MUST. Art imitates life in so many ways, every day. Music is art.

Support the people that make you feel good: family, friends, colleagues, associates. Adele. Musicians need love too. Buy the music you love and put other people on to it too.

Love & music.

(miss YOU, Ashley)