From A Distance (Bette Midler) / Get Here (Oleta Adams) - Day 23

A pair of songs from 1990, both of which bring me to my mother, and to the hope for peace in the world, and the need to tell the people you love, that you love them. From A Distance, was released during the Gulf War, and the Divine Miss M. belted out our need for peace already. Our need to stop all this senseless shit. Shortly thereafter came Get Here, by Oleta Adams, whose angelic voice was a harbinger of the desperation of holding the ones you loved as close as possible. This all, while I was in the process of finally coming out to my mother, and hoping I’d never need to yearn for her with the possibility of being shunned and excommunicated. Looking back and hearing these songs today, I celebrate the strength of character my mother had, in the face of what others would think. She loved me no matter what, proving she was one classy bitch. As a post script, one of the final voicemails from my sister (that is saved in my VMs if I ever need to hear her beautiful little voice again) was that she called just to tell me From A Distance was on, and she knew Mommy was there with her, helping her stay strong. Insert waterworks here.