I discovered The Compleat Tom Paxton while my partner was on a week long hiking trip. As soon as I heard the closing track, The Last Thing On My Mind, I burst into tears. As Paxton sang about the regret of not doing enough to save a relationship that had ended long before the final encounter, I began to think about the times that I had taken our relationship for granted. Being completely alone for the first time in years was weighing on me, and I began to truly think about what life would be like without him.

The Compleat Tom Paxton was, and still is, an absolutely beautiful soundtrack to an emotionally charged time in my life. Songs like I Give You The Morning and Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound truly set the tone for allowing myself to love without constraints, and to question where I want to find myself in the world.