monday music…my favorite cd #2
When I think of a person with strength, I think of Mary J. Blige. Mary is the essence of going through a storm and rising like the phoenix, renewed and restored. I love Mary now, fabulous and free…but I also loved her back then, hard and hurt.
My favorite Mary J. Blige CD isn’t the one you would think. Although I loved My Life, and consider it a for sure classic, I hear nothing but pain when I listen to it. That’s understandable, given the situation and environment Mary was in back then. I knew that pain would eventually be broken, and a new Mary would emerge. I found healing and moving on listening to Mary J.’s self-titled CD, Mary.
This is my favorite CD because I could hear Mary shedding all of that misery and emerging as someone who believed in herself. That is beautiful to me. Recognizing your own power is a freeing experience, and you can hear Mary beginning to step into the spot reserved for her so long ago on this CD. Her voice is stronger and more mature, the lyrics are purposeful, and each is a strong step forward. Plus, any CD with a song titled Beautiful Ones tends to show up on my favorites list (hint, hint).
I put this CD on when I want to think beyond whatever is troubling me. When I need a reminder that the sun is on its way over that mountain in front of me, I listen to Mary.
All That I Can Say,
~ M
