Why is it that music can be such a motivator?  On a grey day I put on a song with a beat and immediately I'm forced out of my self-loathing or selfish attitude and am able to see beyond my circumstances.  I'm moving to the beat, listening to the words, I'm making my bed, picking up, and something in me feels better.

I'm not alone in this.  I know that others have found that music is the oil that keeps the machine of this life working.

Music can be corrupting as well.  If you put the wrong oil in a machine you could seriously cause problems or even destroy it.  I remember reading that in some of Hitler's concentration camps that beautiful music was played when the victims of the Holocaust were taken off the box cars and sent to the gas chambers.  This is a terrible twisted way to use music.

Some religious people of the 70's were against the rock music of that generation and I can sometimes understand why.  You only have to see the lifestyles of those that were involved and how miserable and short some were to wonder if it was true.

Music in churches have been the deciding factor that some people have used to stay or leave the church.  Again a sad situation since a church is more than the building and music that is played.

But again music brings memories of important or cherished times like Christmas music or wedding music. And as I said at the beginning it motivates to work.  Teens often do homework to music.  We listen to boring (but calming music) on elevators, on automated phone calls, in department stores and of course while driving in our cars.

Without music this world would be a sad and miserable place.  Think about this today.  How long have you gone without hearing some kind of music, jingle, or instrument?  Take the time today to play or sing a favorite song today.  It's guaranteed to lift your spirits, make you ponder life or motivate you to move.  As a popular favorite children's song goes, "...no matter if it's not good enough for anyone else to hear, Sing, sing a song."

Cold days are good for snuggling.  Whatever else may be said about winter it is always a good reminder that the colder we get the more comforting it is to get warm.  There is something so tender and wonderful and it catches in my mind that this is tactile memory from infancy.  Think of it, as a newborn we are taken from the snug confines of the womb into the cool air and bright lights of the world.  What do we want on a cold day? A mug of hot coffee or cocoa, the covers and pillow of our warm beds, the sweet warmth of a pet on our laps and mostly the comfort of someones arms and torso pulling us into a hug.

In this society where we are sometimes so adverse to touch, many live their lives starved for that simple expression of "warmth".

Perhaps that is why those in depression huddle under the covers.  The need for comfort being so strong that physical warmth brings a measure of contentment.  This would also in part explain why some studies have shown that pets can bring comfort to the elderly or why it's so important that newborns are held.  And even why that lack of warm sunshine can bring on the "blues".

Dismal, grey days in November through February remind us that the world can be a very "cold" place. That not only do we need a mug of coffee but we also need the care and touch of other human beings. A simple smile or word of encouragement can warm us inside as well. We are not meant to be alone...  I find it interesting that punishment in prisons can be solitary confinement.  Even the most solitary person needs some type of "warmth".

Are you cold?  Seek out some warmth today.  Are you interacting with someone who is "cold"?  Show them a little warmth.  You might be surprised how much you can thaw out a frozen heart with kindness or love.