A Senior Woman's Life Story in a Song

I wrote the lyrics to this song, "Looking At My Hands," on March 19th, 2026, but in many ways, the story began decades earlier.

The First Verse Inspired By My True Story of Mom Helping Me Move Into My First Apartment in 1979 - But It Applies to Many Women!

The first verse is not just imagined — it's a memory I've carried with me all my life. 

I was 19 years old in 1979 when I moved to Toronto to go to school, sharing my very first apartment with a friend. 

It was only a few hours from home, but it felt like a whole new world had opened up in front of me. I remember the excitement, the independence, and the quiet realization that life was beginning to unfold in a new and exciting way.

And I will never forget my mother being there with me.

We unpacked boxes together, cleaned (we were cleaning maniacs lol), and set up that apartment piece by piece. There was something so simple about it at the time — just the physical act of lifting things, putting them in place, beginning a new chapter. 

But looking back now, that moment holds so much more meaning. It was the beginning of everything.

That verse, for me, is almost a diary entry. It takes me right back to that young woman standing at the start of her life, not yet knowing all that she would one day carry.

On a side note, I start the song with the words:

"Looking at my hands, remembering what they've lifted, my pens and my dreams, and how those early weights shifted"

These words reference what my soul knew it should be doing, writing, and how those dreams shifted to the practical side of life. 

Thinking back, it was the world we lived in: be practical, think about a career, not your artsy-fartsy dreams. 

Well, it ain't over till it's over! So here's my lyric video :)

The Verses About Youth and Ambition, Marriage and Family

From there, the song moves through the stages so many of us know.

The years of ambition and growth, when life feels fast and full; meeting new people, building a career, stepping into independence with excitement and hope. 

And then, as life unfolds, it brings love, relationships, marriage, and children. Each chapter arrives naturally, almost effortlessly at first. Yet, each one brings new layers of responsibility and new forms of "lifting" that we never fully anticipated when we were just starting out.

That's really what this song is about.

It's not just the events themselves, but what comes with them. The unseen weight. 

The emotional and mental strength required to hold it all together. The quiet resilience that builds over time as life becomes more complex.

In the beginning, the lifting is physical — boxes, furniture, the pieces of a new life. But as the years go on, what we carry becomes much deeper than that. It becomes about people, about love, about responsibility, about showing up again and again for the life we've created.

And then something shifts.

The Verse About How The Lifting Will Now Be Experienced by Our Grown Children

We begin to see the next generation stepping into those same roles.

Our children begin to carry their own weights, to build their own lives, to face their own challenges. And in that moment, there's both a sense of understanding and a quiet passing of the torch; a recognition that this is the rhythm of life.

The thread that runs through it all is that simple image: looking at our hands.

All that they've held.
All that they've lifted.
All that they've carried — often without us even realizing the strength it took.

I Gave This Song, These Lyrics, A Positive Ending

And in the end, I wanted this song to land somewhere peaceful and positive. Not in hardship, but in reflection. In that later chapter of life where we can look back — from that young woman in her first apartment in 1979, to the woman we are today — and recognize the fullness of it all.

Not perfectly lived, but fully lived.

And in that reflection, there is a quiet kind of victory.

Not the kind that needs to be announced, but the kind you feel when you realize… You did it. You're still standing. That's a win in my books.

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How I Wrote the Lyrics for “You Stood Me Up”

I wrote these lyrics on March 8th, 2026, as part of a compilation of couples' love songs I'm putting together. 

Writing couples' lyrics has always been a challenge for me — not because I don't believe in love or feel it, but because it's so easy for the love words to slip into greeting-card territory and sound cheesy.

Last Week's Song Lyric Debut

As I mentioned last week in my article about Marry Me Fool, I try to tell a story in every lyric I write. That's how it feels real to me. 

I've been writing since I was eight years old, and for me, everything has always come from a real and human perspective.

Sure, I can write more roundabout lyrics — the kind that are less on the nose, more metaphorical or flowery, and make you think. I do that sometimes, too. But when I'm telling a story, it has to hit my spirit first. That's the only way I can put it down on paper and eventually shape it into music.

I still question myself sometimes about whether I should write differently. Every writer has their own approach, and many styles work beautifully. But I'm old enough now to know who I am and how I write best.

Even if I haven't lived the exact experience I'm writing about, I need to find the realness inside it. Once I feel that connection, the words start to come to life.

How You Stood Me Up Came to Life

So, back to You Stood Me Up. 

This is a story lyric. The only way I could write it was to imagine the story and place myself inside it.

That's when the words begin to take shape for me.

They don't always come easily. Some people have lyrics pour out of them, but for me, it's work, the best, most fulfilling work! 

I'm always trying to tie everything together from beginning to end — making sure the verses lead somewhere and that the chorus carries the heart of the story.

With these lyrics, I worked on it carefully from verse one through to the outro, ensuring everything connected.

The story itself came to me as a simple moment between two people.

They had planned a date. She was sitting in a restaurant by the window, quietly sipping her tea and waiting for him.

When he arrived and saw her, he suddenly felt like he wasn't good enough. His nerves got the best of him, and instead of going inside, he convinced himself he should just leave. In his mind, it would be easier to stand her up than risk disappointing her.

So he turned and walked away.

But as he was leaving, he tripped over the curb just as she was coming out of the restaurant.

She reached down, grabbed his hand, and helped him up.

That tiny moment — awkward and unexpected — became the beginning of a lifelong relationship. And that simple story is what became the heart of these lyrics.

Writing lyrics like this is always a balance between storytelling and honesty. But when a story feels alive, when it flows the way you hoped it would, it's one of the best feelings there is.

Listen to How I Put This Song Together:

Resonance and the Joy of Writing

My husband genuinely relates to the personal stories in my lyrics, especially those about my parents. He looks forward to every new lyric I write.

He was especially proud of my poetry and lyrics book — a compilation of over 50 years of my writing, dating back to 1968, that's available on Amazon. Of course, he's biased, but his opinion carries weight because he knows our life story and many of the experiences that shape what I write.

For me, though, I try to best myself.

I'm not interested in competing with other writers. I just can't. I'm simply not built that way.

I have always competed with myself.

Almost every time I finish a lyric, he'll say, "How did you write one better than the last one?" When he says that, I sometimes think, well… maybe I achieved my goal again.

But I don't write for compliments. However, validation from him means a lot because he knows our life and my heart, and that matters.

I'll Write Until My Last Breath No Matter Who Reads It or Doesn't Read It - I Have To.

I write lyrics because I love writing about the human emotional experience. I'll keep writing until my last breath because it's a part of my soul.

I have to write lyrics — stories about life. Or poems — stories about life.

If I were stranded on a desert island and someone somehow left me with a pad of paper and a pen, I’d write until the ink ran out. And when the ink was gone, I’d write the words in the sand.

That's just how essential writing the human experience is to me.

This particular lyric video, Echoes of a Quiet Room, meant something special because this is the lyric I wrote about my parents' passing. I cried from beginning to end just writing it.

It comes from a real place, so deep and painful that when my hubby and my brother heard it, they cried.

There's something beautiful about sharing this depth of love with someone else. A love and loss they feel along with you. You look into their eyes, and you both know the pain and the gratefulness.

So in my mind, that was the one to beat — and the only person I compete with is myself.

When I finished You Stood Me Up, I called hubby in and said, "Oh my God, you have to listen to this."

He listened, and his mouth literally dropped open.

He said, "Wow! That's the best one."

Of course, he says that every time I write something, but hearing it this time felt different. The story flowed exactly the way I had imagined it — the meeting of two people and the quiet suggestion of a lifetime together.

The Music and Creative Side

The music creation isn't easy either. 

Even with digitally produced music, composition takes structure, input, and attention to every nuance. However, if you want to hit a button and go with "whatever," anyone can do that. I can't do that since I'm bringing my own words to life.

For me, the message is everything. The words have to be paired with the right sound and emotional tone.

Sometimes I get lucky, and it comes together in five attempts. Other times it takes 18 or even 24 hours of adjusting and rebuilding until it finally feels right.

It can be frustrating. In fact, it's more frustrating than writing! Because it must reflect my personal intention on the meaning of the words I've written.

But when it finally clicks — like it did with You Stood Me Up — it feels like a gift.

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My Song About Love at First Sight - Marry Me Fool

I have always found love songs difficult to write.

Not because I don't believe in love — I absolutely do — but because it's so easy for a love song to slide into something overly sweet or just plain corny. A few too many dreamy lines, and suddenly it starts sounding like something that belongs inside a greeting card.

That's never really been my style.

Even when I was young, writing about couples' love wasn't what I naturally reached for. Most people enjoy writing poems or lyrics about romance, but I usually find myself writing about other parts of life, emotions, observations, and the things people quietly go through.

Lately, though, I've been pushing myself a little.

I decided to build a small collection of songs centered around relationships, weddings, and love stories. And when I sat down to write one, I realized the only way it would feel natural for me was to approach it as a story, not just a description of love.

That's how Marry Me – Fool began - It's become my husband's favorite so far of all that I've written:

A Moment on a Train Platform

I wrote these lyrics on March 3rd, 2026, as part of that little challenge I gave myself.

Since I've been married for over forty years, trying to step back into those early romantic feelings can feel a bit strange. Love deepens over time. It becomes steadier and quieter. It's beautiful, but it's different from those younger emotions when everything feels sudden and electric.

So instead of trying to recreate the feeling directly, I imagined a moment.

A crowded train station.

People are moving in every direction, all focused on their own lives. And amid all that movement, a man notices a woman standing on the platform.

Something about her catches his attention immediately. Maybe it's the way she carries herself. Maybe it's something he can't explain. But he knows he doesn't want to lose sight of her.

So he pushes through the crowd and boards the same train car she's getting on.

They don't speak during the ride. In fact, most of the story unfolds in silence — two strangers sharing the same space while he quietly hopes for a moment to connect.

That moment finally comes when the train reaches its stop.

He steps off, turns back toward her, and reaches out his hand, asking if she'd like help stepping down.

Those few words are the first time they have ever spoken to each other.

By the end of the song, five years have passed, and they're still together.

And it all started with a glance across a crowded platform and a quiet train ride where almost nothing was said.

I think stories like that stay with us because they tap into something many of us have wondered about at some point — those moments when someone walks into view and, for reasons we can't fully explain, they capture our attention completely.

Writing Marry Me – Fool reminded me that sometimes love stories don't begin with big declarations.

Sometimes they begin with something much simpler.

A crowded station.

A quiet train ride.

And a hand reaching out at exactly the right time.

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My Fun Wedding Dance Song Lyric with 19 Movie References!

I wrote Our Real Life Movie on February 22, 2026, and I'm smiling a little as I type that—because this song started as a challenge to myself, and I wasn't at all sure how it would turn out.

The Way I Was Able To Write This Kind of Song!

Writing songs about a couple's love is the hardest thing for me. Which is funny, really, because I've been married for forty years.

You'd think it would be easy. But writing about brand-new love, those early feelings, that fresh spark, feels far away sometimes. Not gone. Just lived-in. And trying to capture that without sounding corny, forced, or like I'm missing the emotional mark has always been tricky for me.

Originally, my goal was to write a first-dance wedding song. That was the intention. But once I sat down with it, I realized I needed a way in—something I could emotionally connect to. That's when the idea shifted.

Using My Crazy Knack For Remembering Movie Lines as That Spark!

I decided to approach it differently, drawing on something that has stayed with me my whole life: movie lines.

I'm Gen Jones, a late boomer (1954-1965), and I've been lucky enough to grow up with some incredible films—especially rom-coms from the 80s and 90s. 

Certain lines never leave you. They lodge themselves in your heart, your memory, your understanding of love. So I started weaving them into the song—some directly, some indirectly—until the project took on a life of its own.

Nineteen movie-related lines later, what started out feeling difficult became fun. Here it is! It's upbeat and fun.

It wasn't easy. Not even close. But it was the good kind of hard—the kind where you don't mind taking your time because you're enjoying the process. 

I didn't know if I could pull it together, and I didn't rush it. I let it become what it wanted to be. It took me about 2 days to write these lyrics; that's long for me. Oh, and of course, I design all the artwork and create all the videos. Lots of fun work. Lucky, I love it so much!

I've Been Writing Since I Was 8 Years Old - I'll Write Until I Drop :)

I've been writing since 1968, since I was eight years old, and I still never know where the next project will come from or how it will unfold. Some things arrive fully formed. Others need to be coaxed, challenged, and played with. This one asked me to stretch a bit.

I have written song lyrics from a fictional place before; this one, Elvis Saved My Life, was a fun project I gave myself in the late 1990s/2000s.

Creating the vocals and music took time. I'm fussy about emphasis. Certain words need to land just right, or the emotion doesn't work for me. When it finally came together, it felt right—like the song knew what it was doing before I did.

This song became a puzzle, and I love that part. If you feel like dissecting it and spotting the references, I've left the answers below so you can see how many you caught. I hope you have fun with it.

And if you're getting married—congratulations. Truly. If you choose to dance to this song, please link it for me. I would genuinely love to see it become part of someone else's real-life movie.

That thought alone makes the whole challenge worth it.

Here are the Movie Lines Referenced in The Lyrics (Directly or Indirectly):

1. "For a million tiny little reasons" – A Million Little Things

2. "I'll never let you go" – Titanic

3. "I'll never miss a thing" – Armageddon

4. "There's a time for everything, now it's our time to dance" – Footloose (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

5. "You'll never be in a corner" – Dirty Dancing

6. "Turning fifty shades of grey" – Fifty Shades of Grey

7. "We now write the script for our never-ending story" – The NeverEnding Story

8. "Etched in our notebook" – The Notebook

9. "Our tale of two cities" – A Tale of Two Cities

10. "Through pure serendipity" – Serendipity

11. "I jump, you jump" – Titanic

12. "I choose us" – The Family Man

13. "I wanted it to be you" – You've Got Mail

14. "Was like coming home" – Sleepless in Seattle

15. "It was like I had always known you" – Sleepless in Seattle

16. "We found our passion" – Flashdance

17. "We certainly made it happen" – Flashdance

18. "Oh what a feeling" – Flashdance

19. "Into our own ever after" – Ever After Bonus Musical Nod (not a movie)

BONUS: Old School Music Reference!

20. "Dancing on the Ceiling" – Lionel Richie

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My Children Save My Life Every Day - A Song Review

 

My Children Save My Life — Every Single Day

All my life, I've said this sentence without thinking twice: my children save my life every day. It was never a slogan or something I tried to turn into meaning. It was simply the truth as it lived in me — steady, quiet, and constant. I realize that's a lot of pressure to put on our kids, but nevertheless, it's an honest feeling.

When I wrote the song My Children Save My Life, I realized I wasn't just writing about my children. I was writing to them. I was also finally giving words to something I later discovered so many parents, especially mothers, feel but rarely articulate. 

Over time, I've seen versions of this same sentiment shared again and again on social media: my kids saved me, my children gave my life purpose, I wouldn't be here without them. Different words, same heartbeat. 

That's when I knew this feeling deserved its own song.

As you read this article, you'll find some of the lyrics I wrote for this song filtered throughout.

Wanting to Hand Them an Easy World - Yah, I Know, It's Not Easy!

I want my children to have an easy life. Not a perfect one. Just an easier one. 

When they were little, and even now, I want to hand them all the answers. I want to give them the map, the shortcuts, and the warnings written clearly so they can bypass that broken ground altogether.

I want to keep them close. I want to block the shadows. I want to win every battle for them so they can stay peaceful. 

I know, logically, that children are supposed to struggle sometimes, that challenges shape them, that lessons learned firsthand matter more than anything I could explain. 

But emotionally? Like many parents, I don't want my children to suffer. When they struggle, I don't watch from a distance (but sometimes I'm forced to), I dig deep alongside them.

Is that selfish? Maybe a little. 

If their life is easy, mine feels easier too. But mostly it comes from love. From instinct. From that deep, almost unbearable desire to protect their spirit. 

That's where the song begins — with that wanting. That hope that if I could just give them the book of life, filled with every secret to an easier road, they'd never have to stumble.

The truth is, that wouldn't work, because nine times out of ten, the likelihood they'd listen is slim to nil. But that's ok too, because it's evidence that, in the end, it's up to them.

Life, of course, doesn't follow the maps I draw.

Watching Them Become Who They Are

One of the hardest truths of parenting is realizing that no matter how much wisdom you carry, life still belongs to your children. They have to live it themselves. I've watched them stumble. I've watched them rise again. I've watched them make choices that require courage, quiet courage, the kind that doesn't announce itself.

There's a line in the song that holds a complicated truth for me: I'm grateful for their strength, yet at the very same time, I hope they never really need it. 

That's the paradox of being a parent. You want your children to be capable and resilient, but you don't want life to demand too much of them.

What humbles me most is realizing they don't need my book of life after all. They don't need every secret written down. They find paths I don't see. They bypassed broken ground, which I thought was unavoidable. And in doing so, they teach me something I'm still learning.

Choosing Faith Over Fear

Parenting is a constant balancing act between faith and fear. Fear wants control. Faith asks for trust. Trust is not passive — it's an active choice, one I have to make again and again. Letting go doesn't mean loving less. It means loving differently.

I'm still practicing. I'll never be a pro at letting them go. But even in silence, I feel their hearts. I send them peace. I remind myself that I'm not their answer — I'm the road that helps them through. I'm the doorway into living, not the path they have to choose.

My children don't just shape my life.
They save my life.
Every single day.

And that truth deserved its own song. It was my Valentine's Day gift to them this year. 

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I Write Lyrics About Life:

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Remembering The Unscarred Me - A Song Review

Sometimes, I think about that little girl I used to be—the one who played with dolls and held imaginary tea parties, who believed the world was full of endless possibilities. 

There was a gentle magic in those early years, a quiet wonder that filled my room and the pages of bedtime stories. I remember being unscarred.

A Walking Doll Gift From Dad When I Was Seven

When I was seven, my father had been away for a while, and when he returned, he brought me a gift I still vividly remember: a giant doll, almost half my height, with a name—Shirley. 

I was completely taken aback by this amazing toy. Shirley wasn't just a doll; she was a walking doll. You could hold her hand or arm, and as you walked, her legs would move forward as if she were walking alongside you. 

I remember the awe of watching her move, the sense that she was alive in a way no toy had ever been. That feeling—the magic, the companionship, the sheer possibility—stayed with me for years, and it's exactly what inspired the term "walking doll" when I wrote this song.

As life went on, Shirley stopped walking. I grew taller, my imagination quieted, and somewhere along the way, I stopped letting her talk. Pretend tea parties became memories. She became a decoration, a silent reminder of a part of me I had tucked away.

I Grew Bigger And Stopped Her From Talking

In my twenties, thirties, and forties, I thought I had to leave that little girl behind. I told myself I was practical, independent, and strong.

Dolls were for children, not for grown-ups. But life has a way of nudging you back to what you need most. Every heartbreak, every challenge, every moment that shook me whispered: remember the unscarred me. Remember the one who imagined freely, who believed in possibility, who saw the world as full of magic.

Now, at this stage of my life, I realize I don't have to hide her anymore. I've stopped worrying about what others might think when they see me tap into my creativity, my imagination, my artsy, playful side. What matters is being true to myself. Being free again, as I was when I was little, is my gift to myself.

This Song is About Acknowledging Our Young Imagination

This song, The Living Story (I Remember Being Unscarred), is my ode to that girl in the light pink dress. 

I chose the color pink in these lyrics and in the lyric video for two reasons: one, because when I was a little girl, pink was one of my three favorite colors; and two, most importantly, because my granddaughter's favorite color is pink. 

In the lyric video, I dressed both the grown woman and the young girl in pink to reflect that connection. She's still there on the shelf, waiting patiently for me to remember her, for me to reach for her when the world feels heavy, when life leaves its marks. And now, I do. I drink pretend tea again. I let myself imagine. I let myself create. That girl, that spark, is alive in me, and she always will be.

At 65 Years Old, I'm Acknowledging The Unscarred Me Once Again, as Talked About in the Lyrics I Wrote in this Song

Those who know me know I've been writing for a long time. I started writing poems and song lyrics in 1968, when I was eight years old, and I've written on and off ever since. In 2019, I published a book on Amazon featuring fifty years of my writings. Life often pulled me away from writing. 

Now, at 65, I've made a personal decision: I will honor my spirit and write as much as I can for as long as I live. This is my choice—not to be special, but to be true to who I am, what my soul calls me to do. For me, it's writing. For others, it may be art, music, or building something meaningful. 

The truth is, knowing ourselves is the hardest thing we do. I've come back to my true self, and I plan to live out the last third of my life fully aligned with who I am at heart.

Whether anyone reads or listens to my writings is secondary; it's ok if people don't. It's just something I have to do; I have to get it out. I hope you can release the true you, or maybe you already have!

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Gut-Wrenching Lyrics About Love and Loss - The Story Behind These Words

The lyrics I wrote for this song are rather gut-wrenching and extremely personal, but I'm sure many who have gone through loss can unfortunately relate.

On February 6th, 2026, I put these words together for Echoes of a Quiet Room. I felt compelled to sit down and finally share the story of the day the world stopped for me. It happened twice—first in 2013 with my dad, and then in 2021 with my mom. 

These words express some of the feelings I had in those moments, especially when my mother passed.

The Front Porch Never Felt So Empty

The lyrics to this song talk about our front porch never feeling so empty, the kitchen feeling empty, and my mom and dad's chairs being empty. 

But the truth is, these feelings didn't just occur the moment they passed. While it was much more powerful when Mom died—mostly because Dad was already gone—these feelings actually hit me hardest while Mom was in nursing care.

I would drive the car up our long driveway and look at those empty front steps, remembering all the life that had once been there. I'd pull into the garage and walk up into the house all by myself, without my mother, my father, or my brothers. I was walking into that house alone. 

There wasn't anything domestic being done anymore; the kitchen was just still. I would go into the family room and sit in her chair or Dad's chair, absolutely devastated by the realization that I was at a stage of life where they were no longer a part of the home, although they always will be in spirit, of course.

The hardest part when I think back was my parents not being there when I arrived. That was just one hundred percent brutal, and a bit weird all at the same time.

On the actual day my mom passed, I was with my brothers, so I wasn't alone. But the lyrics speak to those times she was in care, and I was at the house by myself, just existing in that space without them.

How We Get Through This Part of Life I'll Never Fully Understand, It's Brutal - That's The Only Way To Describe It

I've had a lot of trouble expressing the sheer loneliness I felt while Mom was in the hospital. Looking back, I feel a little bit proud of myself for managing such an intensely grief-stricken part of life.

I wonder how I even got through it. But the universal truth is that we don't know how strong we are until we have to be.

So many people out there are going through these exact same feelings, and that's why I wanted to write this song. 

For anyone who has suffered this kind of loss, know you aren't alone. Having lived this myself, I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone, but I unfortunately share it with you. I guess that's just part of life.

Grief really does just sneak up on us sometimes.

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All in One Course, for Piano, Review

Decades ago, when I first took piano lessons, I was instructed to purchase individual books on theory, and some other books as well. There were three or four books that I had purchased. It is what was available at the time, and I got the books my teacher recommended.

When I had gone for quite awhile without playing, sans piano, I decided to get some books to help me relearn piano.

What I found was a book that has Lesson, Theory, and Solo, all in one book. I already worked through Book 1, and have recently started with Book 2.

I like this approach much butter, you learn a bit of theory along with explanations, and practice songs to reinforce the theory and technique, all in one book.

It's so much nicer having the various steps of learning, all in one place, in an easy understandable order, without having to go to one book from another; it's all sequential. It's much easier for one to follow and know what to do next, especially if they don't have a piano teacher.

When I started working in Book 2 of the All in One Course, Lesson, Theory, Solo, I was able to jump in and play the presented song from beginning to end, (They are short."), without much hesitation. I am pleasantly making progress. I know it helps that I had piano lessons many years ago, but overall, I think this method is much more enjoyable than the earlier method was, and easier too.

It is so nice having the lessons flow from one aspect to the next, in a sequential order, all in one book. If you are interested in checking out this book on Amazon, you can check it out here: All in One Course. There are other books in this series for different levels.

Cheryl Paton

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That Point Where You Say, “I Can’t Do This the Same Way Anymore”

I wrote The Tango of My Life around 2009. I wasn’t personally walking away from my life at the time, but I know I must have been stressed. You know those moments — when life feels loud and heavy, when everything piles up at once, and you suddenly think, I just want my life back. That’s where these lyrics came from.

When Life Gets Too Loud

This song is an empowerment song, but not in a dramatic or rebellious way. It’s for women who feel overwhelmed. Not women who are necessarily trying to walk out on their lives, but women who reach that quiet breaking point where they say, Damn… that’s it. I need to find me again.

That’s where the lyric Destination Me comes from. It came from that internal moment when you stop trying to hold everything together for everyone else and realize you need to turn back toward yourself. Destination Me isn’t about leaving your life — it’s about returning to yourself within it. It’s the decision to choose yourself without knowing exactly what the next step looks like.

This song isn’t about running away. It’s about claiming yourself again.

Writing Was Always My Exit - Sometimes Saving Me From Heading to the Front Door!

For me, the exit was never leaving — it was writing. Some people journal. I write lyrics. I’ve been doing that since 1968 (yah, I was 8 years old). When life gets tangled, when emotions don’t come in neat sentences, I put them into a song or a poem.

The Tango of My Life came from that place. It came from needing to breathe. From needing to hear my own voice again. From realizing that sometimes the only way through overwhelming life circumstances is to stop and put the truth somewhere safe.

This song isn’t about quitting on people, and it isn’t about abandoning your life. I’m not saying that some people don’t need to leave certain situations — sometimes they do — but this song holds more than one truth. It can be a momentary feeling of get me out of here, or a long-standing knowing that something has to change. It holds both.

The Middle Still Belongs to You

The song talks about how someone else may have gotten the beginning of your story, but you still get to decide the middle — and ultimately, the ending. That part belongs to you. Always.

This is a song for people reclaiming their lives. It’s also for someone who’s just having a bad day and thinking, I’ve had enough. I need to pause. I need to do this for me.

If that’s you — even just for today — this song is for you.

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Chasing Butterflies - My Story Behind the Lyrics From Childhood to Being a Grandparent

I wrote the lyrics to Chasing Butterflies on January 16th, 2026.

I didn’t sit down planning to write lyrics that day. Lately, my thoughts have been drifting back to my childhood. I turned ten in 1970, and those years keep returning to me in small flashes. 

One of my favorite things in the world back then was riding my 10-speed around town with my friend. We’d be gone most of the day, riding from one end of town to the other — from my house to hers, and back again, over to our school, and anywhere else our bikes took us.

There was no plan. We just rode, talked, laughed, and filled the day. If we ended up at her house and her mom was making dinner, I’d call home to let my mom know I was eating there. If she were at my place, she’d do the same. And when the streetlights came on, that was our signal to head home. It was just life, a fun life.

Some Things You Only Understand Later

Thinking about those years always brings me back to my parents. I miss them. That never really goes away. Back then, I had no idea how much they were shaping me, or how much strength they were quietly giving me just by being there. I only understand that now, looking back. That part of my life, having them in it, became a foundation for everything that came after.

Somewhere in all of that remembering, the idea of butterflies came to me.

When you’re a child, you chase butterflies without thinking. You don’t question it. You imagine, pretend, make up stories, and let your imagination lead the way. You play with dolls and trucks, create worlds, and believe in them completely. When you’re that young, imagination isn’t something you try to access — it’s just there, guiding you.

We Don’t Know Who We’re Becoming

Life changes us. It has to. A caterpillar doesn’t know it will one day become a butterfly, and we don’t know who we’re becoming either. When I picture myself at ten years old, riding my bike and chasing butterflies, I had no idea who I would be later in life. Writing this now at 65, I can see how much life transformed me — through love, loss, time, and all the things that shape us along the way.

Life also teaches you about moments. About how important it is to really be present with the people in front of you. About letting everything else fall away without trying, simply because the moment matters more than anything else.

That’s where this song brought me in the end — back to where I am now, as a grandmother.

When I’m with my grandchildren, playing with them, laughing, sharing small moments, it feels like a gift. An honor. In those moments, nothing else exists. I’m not thinking about the past or the future. I’m just there. Fully present. And without even realizing it at first, I’m chasing butterflies again.

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50 Years of My Poems and Lyrics are on Amazon, Where Available.

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The Story Behind the Lyrics to The Garden Lesson

 

When Life Was Bananas!

I'm pretty sure it was around 2005 when I wrote The Garden Lesson. I can't pin down the exact year, but I know what my life looked like then, and it was "omg, holy bananas." <---I feel another song lyric coming on! 

I was deep in the thick of it. 

I have four kids; my youngest was about five at that time, arriving as "God's gift," we call him, when I was in my 40th year. 

My life wasn't just full, it was loud, fast, and relentless. 

Every day felt like a sprint from morning until I collapsed into bed at night, already thinking about everything waiting for me the next day.

That season of life was stressful. There's no softer word for it. 

I was juggling a big family, constant responsibilities, and the quiet pressure of finances that never quite stretched far enough. That's when I decided to include the common phrase "more month than money" in this piece. It wasn't poetic; it was literal. Very real.

I felt like I was always calculating, always trying to make things work, always telling myself to stay upbeat for my kids, even when my own nerves were frayed. I wanted to be steady. I tried to master my disposition, even when inside I felt pulled in a hundred directions.

The line "there are children to nurture, family to call, with my disposition mastered and sunny" is so real! 

I remember feeling I had to put on a "good face" so my parents, my in-laws, and my friends wouldn't worry about me. So when I read that line today, I'm like, "yeah, that was so true back then." My parents worried anyway, but I just didn't want to add to it.

Carrying the World in My Heart, It's Just Who I Am

I've always been someone who carries the bigger picture in my heart, sometimes to my own emotional detriment. I still struggle with this. I've written some poignant pieces about suffering children and have yet to put them to music, because they're that real and bordering on blunt.

Children, especially, undo me. Children everywhere. Children who fall asleep without comfort, without security, without enough food or love. Even now, as I type this, I want to cry. I just can't with suffering children, I just can't! I want to hold all of them and tell them it will be ok, I've got you. I wish I could, I truly wish I could hold them all.

But here's a belief that gives me some emotional peace through all the suffering: those who suffer the most teach us the most. They are the teachers.

Back then, I had to regularly talk myself down from it, because the weight of knowing how much suffering exists can flatten you if you let it. And yet, it never left my mind, even when my own life felt like it was barely holding together.

That's where the song became more than a list of chores or responsibilities. It turned into a to-do list of the soul. 

Yes, I was managing laundry, meals, schedules, and small moments of creativity squeezed in where I could, but I was also carrying worry, empathy, and a constant sense of wishing I could do more.

Humanity can be exhausting; however, I do believe most people are good. I even have lyrics for that sentiment, written long ago.

Since the 1980s, helping children has been my way of answering that ache without letting it consume me. 

I'm learning, even at this age, that it's never about fixing everything; it's about doing what we can—one small act at a time. 

Sometimes that's all we can do, and sometimes it's enough to survive our own helplessness. My choice to help has continued to be Canadian Feed The Children, now known as Kinvia.ca.

The Garden Is Our Teacher - It Was The Ultimate Metaphor as Well For These Lyrics

What The Garden Lesson really reflects is that tension. The struggle of wanting to help the world while also needing to keep your own household afloat. 

The challenge of caring deeply while still paying bills, raising children, and trying not to lose yourself in the process. I worried about everyone and everything, including my own family's future, and I carried it all as if it were my responsibility to fix, or at least acknowledge. 

I know better today. At 65 years old, when I'm typing this, I understand to my core that we can't fix people, and we certainly can't "fix" everything. We can make a difference by being a good example - that's what I believe.

In the end, the song gently reminds me to settle down. To breathe. To remember that I am not my to-do list, not the worries I carry, not even the good intentions that sometimes exhaust me. 

What grounds me are the small, real things. A flower growing where you didn't expect it. A smile exchanged without effort. A moment of connection. The quiet love we plant every day without realizing it. That, more than anything I ever checked off a list, is what defines who we are.

I hope you can feel the intended emotions in these lyrics. <3

I even made a little product for part of these lyrics, many, many years ago - the picture is our front yard.

The Garden Lesson Mouse Pad

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50 Years of My Poems and Lyrics are on Amazon, Where Available.

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🎵 ©DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - Original Lyrics. | Licensed Digital Composition (Commercial Rights Held) for Music and Vocals

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Piano Learning and Tips for Setup

I am actually relearning piano, and I'll share with you some background and tips for piano choice and setup.

Many years ago, I considered myself a beginner to beginner intermediate piano player. However, my piano became damaged, and there went my piano playing days.

Over 15 years later, I decided I wanted to play again and told my husband what I wanted for Christmas. I wanted an electric keyboard by Yamaha.

My very first piano was an upright piano that I saw at a garage sale. It was just up the street from me, and it was only $100. I hired some of my co-workers to pick it up and bring it to my house. Where they sat it is where it stayed for the length of time that I owned it. It was too heavy for even my husband and I to push together to have it straightened up with the wall. But that really didn't matter. I played it anyway. But the other thing about the upright piano, was that it required regular tuning. It was something that had to be done around quarterly. Perhaps it was its age, and also it was due to temperature changes with the seasons.

The electric piano that I got after that first piano, was a Clavinova by Yamaha. I really liked it. It had weighted keys, and pretty much played like a regular piano, and it didn't require any tuning. I bought this one from a music store, it was pre-internet days. It was built into its own stand and looked like a real piano. I probably had it around ten years or so. However, I had an elderly cat at the time that had peed on it. It affected the inner parts of the piano, and the repairman couldn't make the keys that were affected, make their normal piano sound again. I went piano-less for approximately 15 years.

Based on my previous experience, I knew I wanted an electric piano again. I was also impressed with Yamaha, and did some searches on that to see what was available. We decided on a Yamaha P143. This time, I wanted just the keyboard instead of having it built into the stand. I could have gotten this model with a stand that was specifically made for it. But I had noticed that there were stands that were adjustable and also piano benches that were adjustable too. I went the adjustable route, and am glad that I did.

As my husband and I got it set up, I remembered in my Book One piano book, about the proper way to set at the piano. The person's legs should be at a right angle from the bench, with their feet being flat on the floor. So we made adjustments to the bench first so that I could sit properly. From there, I positioned my arms as if I were playing, to determine the height of where the piano should sit on the adjustable stand. Voila, I had a piano and bench that were both at the right height for me. That is a God-send. My back is a lot more comfortable from what I remember it being from my earlier piano experiences.

Since it had been so long since my previous piano, I had gotten rid of my piano books. I wanted something without a lot of sharps and or flats, and chose a beginner level with Disney songs. I was plugging along, but soon realized that I needed a refresher, especially for the bass clef staff. It's not too late for me to relearn playing piano. : )

The same company that I had a lot of my teaching books from when I first learned piano, was still around. This time, they combined different lesson types into one book. In book one, they include both theory and solo. It has you start off playing using numbers to identify your fingers, and to play strings of notes and short songs using a number method. As you get practice with that, it then moves on to identifying the notes on the scales. I'm over half way through this first book and have ordered the second book. My skills and my confidence are both improving.

If you are thinking about getting a piano, I recommend first deciding on what is important to you, and also the amount of space that you have for a piano. The digital piano, for the most part, takes up less space. You can get keyboards with less keys even, or get a full size keyboard. If you are getting a digital piano, I also recommend getting a stand and a bench that can be adjusted. (Unless the standard height is already a perfect for you.) Digital pianos are also more portable, should you be in a band something, and need to transport it.

Some people still prefer the overall feel and sound of a regular (non-digital) piano. If you are leaning this way, I do recommend that you try out different models, both for the sound, and also for the comfort level. There are probably options out there that I may not be aware of; just check it out and see what works best for you.

The model that I got has ten different sounds that you can choose from, from basic piano, to grand piano, harpsichord, strings, and more. It's kind of nice to pick a different sound to play, especially if you want to practice the same song over repeatedly. : ) It also has a sustain pedal. You can see the Yamaha P143 digital keyboard and check the price on Amazon.

I chose the adjustable piano stand and bench by Liquid Stands, which is also on Amazon: Adjustable stand and bench combo. It took a bit of figuring it out on how to put these items together, but we got it done. Liquid Stands also included a number that one could call should they need help.

The beginner book that I got as a refresher is Alfred's Basic Piano Library, All in One Course. You can check out this beginner level piano book on Amazon. The pictures are for kids, but it still works.

There are also other Yamaha models to choose from on Amazon. All the best to you in finding the type of piano that works best for you and the tunes and lessons too.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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