On weekday mornings, PJ and I alternate dropping off our son at Teara’s in exchange for our nephew. It’s a routine we’ve done all year and it works in getting the lads off to their schools on time.

Our youngest always comes with us. His day doesn’t start for another hour, but he still likes to come along for the ride because it’s time with his big bro, then his cousin, and always me or his dad. It’s very sweet.

When I drive, we usually listen to The Beatles, Nirvana, Weezer, or another song that pops up on the radio that I like, and introduce to them. Most recently it was the song Nookie by Limp Bizkit.

Before you judge. I prefaced it with, “Limp Bizkit is pretty much the worst band ever, but this song is awesomeeee. There’s no denying it.”

They agreed that it was good, wanted to know what “a cookie” is, and then my eldest asked why Eminem hates Fred Durst. I asked how he knew that and he said he heard it in an Eminem song. My heart swelled because my kids really know good music 🥹😍💕 But I digress…

On the way back to my house, we usually listen to The Beatles because my nephy is a fan too. If it’s not one of the 3 bands mentioned above, it’s usually the satellite station Lithium. Long story longer… it’s always some sort of rock music.

Well yesterday, I was flipping through the stations and The Best by Tina Turner was on. Not only did I leave it, I belted it out.

Not because I thought my son and neph would like it, but because it made me think of one of my favorite shows, Schitt’s Creek, and how Patrick, David’s fiancé, sang the acoustic guitar version to him 😍

Afterward, I was going to lecture them on Tina Turner and her amazing talent, but then the song Shout by Tears For Fears went on and I instead introduced them to one of the biggest songs of my childhood.

Later on that day, PJ told me Tina Turner died. I’m not claiming to be the biggest Tina Turner fan that ever lived, but I was shocked and sad to hear it. She seemed like one of those people who would never die – like Betty White or Madonna.

I was first introduced to Tina around the same time that Shout was a constant on the radio; the other song up against it: What’s Love Got To Do With It?

She was the epitome of cool, walking down the street with her red lips, denim jacket, big hair, and tiny leather skirt in the video. I wanted to be her 😍

That’s when I first knew her, but she had a FULL CAREER for DECADES before that!

She was someone who constantly reinvented herself – from small-town girl Anna Mae Bullock, to ⭐️ TINA TURNER ⭐️, and yet, that wasn’t even her most important transformation.

Her most important transformation was going from abused wife, to independent superstar – teaching women that when they have all the odds against them, they can still win too.

After PJ told me of her death, I did make it about me (as I often do, character flaw, I know) and said that I truly think I’m a little psychic for keeping that song on in the morning, belting it out, and thinking about how wonderful she is. He agreed to appease me (as he often does.)

Tina Turner was a trailblazer leaving gold dust in her wake. Thank you, Anna Mae, for showing all us girls that we can do it too 💫♥️