I don’t usually do music reviews but this album was just undeniable.

A little background first. I turned 30 years old today. I was woken up by my 4-month-old daughter at 6:30am to eat, half an hour before I HAD to be up to get her underway to getting ready for her 8:30am wellness check appointment. As we were finishing her cross-eyed feeding, my husband (who was himself getting ready for work), came to me, kissed my forehead, wished me a happy birthday, handed me two cards and two parcels, and took the baby, telling her, “Come with Daddy-monster so Mommy can open her cards and presents.” I followed them into the living room and opened up a card “from” Elizabeth (with Daddy’s help) and one from my husband (it was quite perfect; he’s getting good at this card-picking thing). Then I looked at my presents. The first one was this album.

On my way to the doctor’s office with Elizabeth, I listened to the first half of the album and found myself smiling all the way there. It starts out with one of my favorite light-hearted pieces, “You Make Me Feel So Young”, and it sets the tone for the whole album, which, to me, feels like a giant cache of love letters. There are letters of everlasting love, love to one’s self in doing what’s best for your heart (“It’s a Beautiful Day”), letters of unrequited love, letters of regret for a love let go (“Who’s Lovin’ You”), letters of shy love (“Stupid Things”, a duet with Reese Witherspoon)…and each and every one of them beautiful. I felt deeply and undeniably loved from many corners and I cannot say this enough:

Thank you, Ben. I love you! ^_^ And I know that I am loved.