My childhood was filled with music. My dad is a musician, my mom would put on Bryan Adams as we cleaned the house and danced around...So many memories are tied to music for me. We used to listen to music most nights as we sat down for dinner. My dad had the radio on in the garage as he worked on the yard. Some weekends my mom would wake us up by blasting music and we'd start the day off with a dance party.

Music is an incredible coping strategy for me. When I'm high, when I'm low, when I'm somewhere in between. When I need to cry or move through my pain. When I need to laugh or feel silly. I'm forever grateful to my parents for instilling a love of music in my childhood. As I'm moving through the emotional trauma of losing the connection to the kids I nannied, I've noticed myself turning to those oldies I listened to growing up. I have a specific playlist on my Spotify for this (@kellygboylan).

The iconic, "In the Air Tonight" from Phil Collins with the powerful drum section gets me every time. (Side note: not only does it help me cope with my sadness and anger, it also has the ability to make me laugh because I think of the Cadbury Egg commercial with the gorilla playing that drum solo). Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It," "It's Only Love," from Bryan Adams featuring Tina Turner, "I Can't Tell You Why," from the Eagles, "The Last Worthless Evening," from Don Henley...

Like the ocean, these lyrics wash over me and take my worries with them. There's something so visceral about listening to music and connecting to lyrics. It's a beautiful reminder that although we often feel completely alone and isolated in our pain (or really emotions in general), there are countless others out there who know the feeling as well. Although our triggers, circumstances, and degree of pain differ, the underlying human experience is the same. I find great comfort in that.