Wonder-ful

Over the thirteen years that I've know my husband, my appreciation for music had grown exponentially. One of the things that impressed me the most when we started dating was that his love for music encompassed so many different genres, generations and artists. From Michael Jackson to the Bee Gees, Nat King Cole to A Tribe Called Quest, Porgie and Bess to Bach and Mozart, he loves it all.

At the top of a long list of list favorites, though, is an artist who inspires Mark above any other single musician. Since he was a young boy, Mark has respected and been in awe of Stevie Wonder - for his brilliant chord progressions, his musical genius, his memorable voice. And a few weekends ago, Mark and I had the privilege of hearing him perform live.

What we expected when we bought our lawn tickets at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, was a venue much like Chicago's beloved Ravinia. Similar, yes, but not exactly the same. We were able to pack some picnic treats, but found that wine was not allowed to be carried into the venue (although bottles were available for purchase). And we were pleasantly surprised that the lawn seating afforded an actual view of the stage, with the grass area sloping upward behind the pavilion. Amazingly, people lined up neatly in rows, staking claim to small patches of ground with a great amount of order. Also notable was the diversity of the crowd - Stevie Wonder's fans spanned every age group and ethnicity.

Our view of the stage.

When the music started, I was captivated. I don't think I stopped smiling the entire night. I was thrilled to know most of the words to Stevie's songs, and like everyone around us, sang along from the bottom of my heart. Songs like I Just Called To Say I Love You, which my Dad used to sing to me as a little girl and years later was the father-daughter dance at our wedding. Classics like My Cherie Amor and favorites like Knocks Me Off My Feet.

And every so often, I'd steal a glance at Mark, and my heart would soar. He was smiling with contentment, too. I knew just how much being there meant to him. I'll never forget when the opening chords of Visions began playing. It was the one song, above all, that Mark wanted to hear, and the look of sheer happiness on his face, the glistening of tears in his eyes, will forever be etched in my memory.

We danced. We laughed. We sang. We leaned in close and soaked in every single moment.

It was an amazing night and when the last song was playing, we didn't want it to end. Yes, it truly was a concert of a lifetime.

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I know its been a long time since my last post - work and marathon training have been keeping me busy (to say the least) - but I'm happy to report that I have a week free of travel ahead of me! I'm hoping to do a little bit of catching up....