When Happy Songs Make You Cry

Today I listened to a livestream filled with wedding songs.

Everyone was smiling. The chat was full of hearts. It was a beautiful atmosphere. Truly. 

And there I was, quietly fighting tears... 

Not because the songs were sad.

Not because anyone had done anything wrong.

But because sometimes happiness reminds us of what we once hoped for. A dream maybe... 

Music has a strange way of opening doors we didn't even know were closed.

A wedding song isn't just a wedding song to everyone. Sometimes it becomes a reminder of promises once believed, dreams once carried, or a version of life that never quite happened... 

It's a strange feeling to be surrounded by joy while your heart quietly aches. You almost feel guilty for not experiencing the moment the same way everyone else does.

But maybe that's the thing about music... 

It doesn't just play melodies.

It plays memories.

The same song can make one person dance, another smile, and someone else remember a chapter they are still learning to make peace with.

None of those experiences are wrong.

Sometimes we grieve the life we imagined.

Sometimes we grieve the love we hoped would grow.

Sometimes we simply grieve the version of ourselves who believed everything would turn out differently.

And that's okay... 

The beautiful thing about music is that it never asks us to feel the same as everyone else. It simply meets us wherever we are. That's part of why I love music so much. 

So if you've ever found yourself crying during a happy song while everyone else was celebrating, you're not strange.

You're simply hearing more than the melody.

You're hearing your own story.

And maybe, one day, those same songs won't remind you only of what you've lost.

Maybe they'll remind you of how far you've come.

- Merry -