1. Dare to Discover – Every one of us brings unique perspective and gifts with us into the world. In our quietmoments, we can find what is “put there to guide you, then to share with all the world – Dare to discover – You!”

2. Love’s Umbrella – In the midst of life’s challenges, we might be inclined to focus on our own discomforts.But that’s not our only option. “I can cry alone, or I can find a way to lift up love’s umbrella on this rainy day.”

3. Part of the Answer – Every day, we each make the world a little darker or a little brighter. Even in challenging times,
“I can be part of the problem… Or I can reach just a little bit deeper: I can be part of the answer.”

4. Fully Here – Hard experiences early in life can teach us to close our hearts and insulate ourselves emotionally. But fulfillment and joy come as we learn to engage, “to be fully here,” with those around us, in the present moment.

5. Anything is Possible – Young children are naturally inclined to dream, imagine, play, and entertain wondrous possibilities. Whatever our age, maintaining a sense of the possible can help us “fly in [our] dreams.”

6. I Often Dreamed – We tend to dream about finding the perfect person, the perfect love. But loving a real person is even better. “Together, strange as it seems, We’re building something sweeter than I ever dreamed.”

7. Through the Years – I wrote this song for my husband 29 years ago, a few months before we were married. For decades now, we have lived what I foresaw – “how our love will grow, through the years.” Love you, honey!

8. That’s When Real Love Starts – Even the most romantic relationship beginnings inevitably lead to the challenging adventure of really getting to know each other, and learning to truly love each other as the imperfect people we are.

9. Enjoy Them Now – Children bring both joys and challenges into our families. They can take tremendous time and resources – but provide so much satisfaction, as we learn to “enjoy them now,” at every stage of life.

10. Blue Carnation – I’ll never forget this special gift my husband gave me, that brought such comfort at a hardtime. Learning to support each other through the occasional dark days is an especially meaningful experience.

11. You Never Gave Up On Me – When a loved one strays or struggles, love can be particularly challenging – but particularly important. “You saw something inside of me, Something that nobody else could see, Something of the person that someday I could learn to be – You never gave up on me.”

12. My Phone – Of all the distractions that can disconnect us from real people and real life, one is particularly powerful, if we are not careful. “Time to look up, time to wake up now, From my phone.”

13. We’re Connected – As love continues to grow over a lifetime, we begin to glimpse a bigger and life-changing truth: “We’re connected, Over oceans, across the continents, beyond the seas… We’re all connected.”

14. Reach Out – We can choose, in every season of life, to extend love and caring, rather than close ourselves off. “Reach out all around you, wherever you are – Reach near and far, And your light will help to light the world.”

15. Don’t Be Afraid – Sometimes the person we have the hardest time valuing is the one staring back at us in the mirror. “Don’t be afraid to be who you are – Don’t be afraid to shine that light burning bright within you.”

16. Everything We Need – Over life’s journey, as we learn to love and accept ourselves and others, we find this simple but transformative truth: “Everything we need, it’s all right here, no need to fear – The world we long to see stands before our face, awaiting our embrace. Everything we hope – more than we could dream – it’s all right here – no need to fear. It’s all right here” – under love’s umbrella.

LOVE’S UMBRELLA (Carrie’s Notes on the Songs – August 2, 2017)

In all my years of writing and recording, never has a CD been more personal, raw, and meaningful for me than this one. These songs are drawn from that very human process we all share – the process of learning to love and connect with ourselves and others. It’s a powerful and risky thing, learning to engage fully. We open our hearts to rejection, pain, and vulnerability.
But we also open ourselves to our deepest joys, our sweetest delights, our most satisfying and meaningful work, as we open our hearts to real love.

In a time of more and more technological wonders and distractions, busyness and stress, terrors and heartbreaks, it is understandable that we might seek escape into endless electronics, entertainments, and tasks. But as we learn to open our love’s umbrella – perhaps just a little at a time – we can find real meaning, real love, real and enduring happiness.

Enjoy the journey! — Carrie Maxwell Wrigley

NOTE: The songs here are all available as downloadable MP3 files. If you would like to purchase a physical CD of this collection, order it here.

Formats: MP3
Duration: 57:00
Audiences: General
Style: Gentle pop ballad
Written and recorded by: Carrie Maxwell Wrigley