What I did have, though, was an unexpected survival strategy: storytelling.

I continue to revisit favorite songs, artists, and concerts—walking myself back through the chapters of my life where music was always playing in the background. Those reflections have sparked long, nostalgic conversations with friends as we compare the eras and experiences that soundtracked our lives.

True story: I took a polygraph. One Christmas, despite the icy roads and poor driving conditions, we gathered at my grandparents' home to celebrate: my husband and I, my dad, my brother, and my uncle from California along with his somewhat-new-to-the-family second wife. Sascha and I drove up from Lafayette for the day. My uncle and his wife were staying with my grandparents; my dad and brother lived nearby. My uncle, my mom’s younger brother, had been in and out of our lives