What's your theme song?

Every day I start out class with a journal entry.  Some easy, "What's your favorite candy?", some harder like a quote, "Always shoot for the stars, for even if you fail you'll land among the stars" to explain or interpret.  Sometimes I really like to challenge them.  Today's question was "What would be your theme song and why?"  Wow - some of their responses were really interesting.

Some of the students chose contemporary songs like Titanium or Monster, mostly because they know the songs and they are fresh in their minds.  Some of the students chose older songs.  I was shocked to hear some of the titles and the reasons for their inspiration, "the song lifts me up", "it motivates me to get going", etc...  They really did their best with a very thought-provoking question.

And of course I should have been better prepared to answer when they asked, as could be expected, "What would be your theme song?"  I didn't have a good answer.  I had been thinking of it since I wrote the words on the board, but I am not really good at the lyrics.  I love them.  I sing along with them.  But sometimes I don't do a great job of listening to the meaning.  I think I've discussed this recently...

Anyway.  I thought.  And thought so more.  I came up with ideas "Titanium", "Roar", "Applause", but I finally realized that my theme song, for this time of my life anyway, would have to be "Brave".  Not only do I love the song, but it is one song that I actually know the lyrics to and appreciate the meaning behind them.  A good friend of mine sent me the song last year as I was beginning my personal journey.  She was proud of me and over the past year, I've become proud of myself.  So while the song speaks to me, it is also my wish for my girls and my friends that have let themselves get pushed down.  Ladies, I wanna see you be brave!

"Brave" by Sara Bareiles

"Brave"

You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love
Or you can start speaking up

Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do
When they settle ‘neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight
Sometimes a shadow wins
But I wonder what would happen if you

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just want to see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

Everybody’s been there,
Everybody’s been stared down by the enemy
Fallen for the fear
And done some disappearing,
Bow down to the mighty
Don’t run, just stop holding your tongue

Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

And since your history of silence
Won’t do you any good,
Did you think it would?
Let your words be anything but empty
Why don’t you tell them the truth?

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
See you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you