Stories Along The Way

I was driving home from a road trip when Mariah Carey’s “Without You” came on the radio.
I hadn’t heard it in years.
Within seconds, I wasn’t on the highway anymore.
I was back in 1994.
It’s amazing how music can do that. A few notes can transport us to another time, bringing back memories and emotions we thought we’d forgotten.
Back then, I met someone I worked with named Paul. From the moment we met, he went above and beyond to make me feel welcome and helped me learn my job. He was kind, funny, and handsome. He joked with everyone, not just me, but somehow he always had a way of making me feel special. Before long, we became good friends.
As time went on, Paul told me he had been in love with me from the very first time he saw me. He didn’t say it lightly—there was sadness in his voice, because he knew how impossible it was. Somewhere along the way, I realized I cared deeply about him too. But I was already in a relationship, so our friendship was all it could ever be.
One day, while we were at work, Mariah Carey’s “Without You” came on the radio.
He smiled, but there was a quiet sadness in it, and said, “Listen to this song. It’s for you.”
When the song ended, he looked at me and said, “Whenever you hear this song, you’ll think of me.”
He was right.
Not long after, he passed away at just 27 years old.
More than thirty years later, every time I hear that song, I’m instantly back in that moment. I can still hear Paul’s voice, see his smile, and remember the friendship we shared.
I’m no longer with the person I was dating back then, but this story isn’t about regret or wondering what might have been.
It’s about Paul—someone who loved deeply, even when he couldn’t have what he wanted, someone who came into my life for a short time but left a lasting mark on my heart—and the incredible way music can preserve a moment forever.
Some people are only part of our lives for a brief chapter, yet they stay with us for a lifetime .
We all have a song that takes us back.

Do you have a special song that instantly brings you back to a moment or someone you’ll never forget ?