I'm Writing a Memoir

I'm writing a story about the 15 years and 5 months of life that were spent here on earth by a dog named Fred.
Yes, my memoir revolves around a dog who I served for more than 15 years as Master. I'm not making that up. It details the relationship we had during my "Days of Wine and Roses."

I first started "officially" keeping a journal back in 1983 while on guard duty in the Army. One of the recurring themes in my journal is I used the music I was listening to at the time as a reference point. I've done that all my life, and I still do it on my blog as well.

I have a knack of making mental notes of what song was on the radio at pivotal, memorable moments in my life.
For instance, the December night in 1995 that my wife and I were driving down to Cape May Point for New Years eve, The song, "I'll Stand by you" by Chrissy Hyndes and the Pretenders came on the radio. I had a diamond ring in my pocket and was planning to propose.
When we arrived, I took my wife out on the beach, got down on one knee, and she accepted.

So forevermore, whenever I hear that song, I feel a sense of elation. I remember reaching across the car and taking her hand as it was playing. Now that we have had more than a dozen years of a happy marriage, I have many more moments that I have musical references for. A sad one is hearing "The Living Years" by Mike and the Mechanics on the radio while driving to Ohio on November 1, 2000, for my Mom's Funeral. I heard that same song just hours after I buried my Dad in January 1995, and it brought me to tears.

My wife is really under it right now, overloaded at work, trying to finish her last course to achieve her Master's degree, and she can't seem to get entirely healthy, while also worrying about the health of her own aging father. That's a lot for her to try and carry.

So honey, I have a little message for you, straight from my memory of that day you said yes: "I'll stand by you."