Some of you might know the guitarist/singer John Mayer. I’m kind of biased, but he is one of the best songwriters, guitarists and general intelligent artists of our time… and I was smiling over both ears when he published his new single yesterday: Last Train Home. It has a Toto/Eric Clapton vibe, a fun listen!

But why am I telling you about it? Well, for one, I like to share the joy. But it’s more than that: My dad loves the band Toto, so the Toto-vibe reminds me of him. I was home to visit the family and saw my dad for his birthday. He turned 62. There was no big party (even under non-Covid circumstances, my dad isn’t the big party type) but there was cake and ice cream with the family. My dad does so much for other people, even to the point of forgetting to take care of himself. He used to play guitar a lot, I even started playing guitar because I wanted to be like “Daddy”. But over time, he kind of stopped doing it. Sure, he enjoys other things, but one reason was, there was too much other stuff to do for everyone else.

However, on his birthday, he took some time to just enjoy himself. He got himself a motorcycle helmet, so he can ride with his friends when they rent a motorcycle once or twice a year (like any mid-age dad should ;) ) And he also got a universal translator gadget. We were all like “can it translate us singing happy birthday into Italian?”, and he was like “no way, understanding song is too hard”. But we tried it, and the AI robot voice actually said “Happy Birthday” lyrics in Italian! :D My dad’s eyes popped and his jaw literally dropped when as he heard the voice come out of the speaker! A moment of pure astonishment and joy, simple as that. For a moment, he was a giddy little kid, full of wonder. It’s nice to take time for those kinds of moments, even when you carry a lot of grown-up responsibility. In that sense, I guess I am telling you about John Mayer’s new song just to share joy. Only it’s sharing joy with my dad’s moment of joy in mind. And, just to go full circle, I overheard my dad playing guitar later that week, as well…

I sent him the song, haven’t heard what he thinks, yet. But either way, I love seeing my dad happy. I know not everyone was as lucky with their dad as I am. But even if you have a difficult relationship, I hope you can appreciate moments together. Even if they are small and fleeting. Not just with dads, but moms, sisters, brothers, and other relationships. They can become so “normal” that we forget to notice them. Maybe you can send a little moment of joy or appreciation to a person whose relationship is kind of taken for granted. Who knows what a little moment of shared joy could mean… Either way, enjoy the song, I hope you notice joy around you, and have a great day!