So you know that I only pretend to listen to NPR in car and that I am usually listening to some crappy radio song instead. Well, for the past few weeks, crappy radio songs have been bringing me to tears. Yeah, you can see me crying in the car at any given time depending on the song.

It's really strange. Usually only country music makes me cry. I am a closet country music lover, although I tell people all the time that I am a closet country music lover. Maybe I should just accept that I am a proud country music enthusiast and get over it.

I only know a handful of country singers but there are a million country music songs that make me cry. And you know why? Because country music gives me hope.

Not those ones about loving America or hanging out with my dog, but the ones about life and love. Country music reminds me that it's the simple things in life that matter and that there is beauty in living my life just the way it is.

And so I am not crying because I am sad. I am crying because these songs evoke an overwhelming sense of gratitude to be here. To be alive is such a gift and music expresses that so perfectly.

Here is a playlist of three songs that have recently brought me to tears in car as I sing along at the top of my lungs. I imagine that lots of folks have cried while listening to Free Fallin'. However, I am not so sure about the other two.

At any rate, happy joyful crying, should you be so moved!