Your Woman

Maria and I had a conversation last night about our women: our female singer/songwriters who connect with us in a way no one else does. I am sure it comes as no surprise to anyone who reads my blog that mine is Mary Chapin Carpenter. Maria's is Joni Mitchell. Beth says her sane one is Bonnie Raitt and her dark one is Nina Simone.

What I realized yesterday is that I don't share my relationship with MCC with anyone else. I fell in love with Fall Out Boy with Tessie, Ali and I rocked out to Mumford and Sons before I turned around and shared them with Mona and Gus and John. But MCC is different. My mother and I talk about her and go to her concerts together and listen to her music together and connect through her, but when I think about MCC I don't immediately think about my mother. I think about me and Chapin, how her music has always been there for me, how she understands me in a continual and powerful way.

When I was talking about her music yesterday, I said: "I use her songs like other people use medicine; sometimes I need it and sometimes it just makes me a little bit better."