Station Wagon by Sara Groves

Taking the recommendation of a friend I downloaded this album.  It was an unknown to me and I was thinking it would be some sort of road-trip-CD-for-kids-that-I-could-stand-listening-to-for-hours CD.  But it turned out to be much more than that.

As I heard song “Station Wagon”, I actually teared up.  I had so been where those lyrics took me.  Loading the car for a trip, asking my husband to put the baby in the car seat and apologizing for “losing my mind” out of worry (or in my case, usually fatigue and the idea that I knew better how to plan for the inevitable disaster of not being able to find snacks or water or the binky).   This lady got me.  Got my journey.  And didn’t shy away from reality.

Other songs  (“A Lot Like Me”,  “Angels Watching Over Me” and “Beautiful Child”) exude similar sweet, melancholy responses.  However others are simple, honest reactions from a mother’s heart (“Prayers for this Child”) or fun to bop along to in the car (“Small Piece of Me”, “Starfish”).  And still others (like “When He Cries”, which compares her baby’s expression to Charles Bronson when he cries) made me laugh.

All together, Station Wagon is a nice mix of emotions from a new-ish parent’s perspective.  Mellow for the most part with added sparks of fun and curiosity.  One that you can play in the car for the whole family and not get tired of on a long road trip or around town.  And some may even soothe the tired child.  And the Mother’s tired mind.