Hi Reader,

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I met my first war veteran 10 years ago, on Memorial Day 2015.

After Memorial Day weekends spent indoors, watching department store and car dealership TV ads, I wanted to connect to the essence of the day.

I sat in a military cemetery chapel, listening to a Vietnam War vet tell his chilling and inspirational tale, of being cornered by an enemy soldier in an underground chamber.

After the chapel service, I heeded an inner nudge to meet him, to shake his hand, and to thank him for telling his story.

I cradled his wizened arm in mine. Our eyes and hearts met. He said it was the first time he’d ever shared that story in public. He believed his life had been spared, so he could share this story in person, or in a book he hoped to write.

As I hugged him goodbye, I encouraged him to follow that heart’s desire.

Your stories, and memories, matter.

On Memorial Day, stories of war veterans take center stage.

Beyond the solemn parades, or the remembrance ceremonies, each veteran carries tales that mark their moment of service, and of sacrifice toward an idea larger than themselves.

Can our lives and stories ever measure up?

Of course they can.

Your life journey holds deep meaning - to you, to your loved ones, and to the communities you belong to.

You just need to know where to look, and how to look, for those stories.

Sometimes, your favorite songs are a lens to help you look.

Like the rush of a summer breeze, hearing such songs can evoke key moments in your life.

Your first school dance.

A painful chapter.

A joyful time with a loved one.

If those songs, and those moments, were meaningful in some way...then they matter.

And you deserve to honor and cherish them.

On that note...

I'm putting the final touches on my new music livestream format.

It will be a place for us to cherish those meaningful songs, and to honor your milestone stories.

I'm excited for you to join me! 🎶✨

Until then...

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Rock on, Reader ✌️

PS: I think about that Vietnam War vet every Memorial Day. I hope he's been able to share his story again, and I wish him peace. ☮️

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