Musical emotion overload.

Warning: Meg, you might want to avoid this one. Even typing it made me start to dab at my eyes.

I was driving to a friend's house a few weeks ago to drop off stuff for a yard sale we were having the next day. I usually listen to audio books when I'm driving (it's quite a lengthy commute), but I had borrowed Tim's car to transport the bigger stuff for the yard sale, and he has satellite radio, which I was taking advantage of. When I was about 20 minutes away, I heard some songs from my childhood that totally made me start to bawl. The first was a song my brother used to say reminded him of me - it's called "Absolutely" by Nine Days. He used to have his AOL Instant Messenger play the song when I either signed on or IM'd him. So I'm listening to this song, and I start thinking about my relationship with my siblings. I think about how my little brother is going to be a dad. I think about all of the memories I have as a kid. I think about how much I've changed since my brother declared it my anthem (the opening lines? "This is the story of a girl, who cried a river and drowned the whole world! And while she looked so sad in photographs,
I absolutely love her, when she smiles ...") I flipped the station, trying to find something that wouldn't make me cry.

Then I heard Train's newest single, "Hey, Soul Sister," which reminded me of the the countless times I listened to their "My Private Nation" album while driving from my sister's house back to my first two post-college jobs. And I can't do that anymore and only see her two or three times a year now.

Then I hear John Mayer's "Daughters." Enough said.

And then I hear Michael Buble, who I LOVE. I thought it was safe, because although I love his newest song, "Haven't met you yet," I've always thought of it as a love song, about how you're looking for your soul mate. But then I started to listen to the lyrics while in emotional baby mode, and I - wait for it - started to cry again.

And I know that we can be so amazing.
And, baby, your love is gonna change me.
And now I can see every possibility

And somehow I know that it'll all turn out,
you'll make me work, so we can work to work it out.
And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get.
I just haven't met you yet.

I seriously could not escape the hormones that day.

As I drove to work and home that night, I heard other songs that made me remember my childhood and reflect on my relationship with my family and the opportunities my parents provided for us. I thought about my grandparents. I thought about what my own relationship with Elle (and hopeful future child/ren) will be and got quite teary again.

While contemplating if I should stop at Arby's on the way home (answer: yes), I heard a song by Earth, Wind and Fire. That reminded me of high school band, because when I was in eighth grade the high school band, which my sister was in, played a competition show with "God Bless the Child" in it. So NATURALLY I started to think about what Elle's future would hold. Would she be involved in sports? Chorus? Band? Debate? Before I could ponder that for too long, an 'N Sync song came on. That reminded me of my little brother, who is now 12, doing the dance to "Bye Bye Bye" when he was like two years old. I definitely *might* have overdosed him on the "No Strings Attached" CD :) It also reminded me of times with one of my best friends in high school - we sang some of the oddest songs together, and I'm not even sure if she would remember it, but the memory made me laugh through some of my tears.

There you have it, folks. The radio-induced emotional rollercoaster of a pregnant woman. And I think we all know now why I should NOT borrow Tim's car anymore.