There’s often sentiment best expressed through art. The experience of parenting is no exception. History is rich with artists voicing the vast gamut of emotions that come with raising a child. We can turn to these works as companions in our own life. They speak to us like mentors, comfort us like friends.

As B and I prepare to navigate through parenthood, I’ve accumulated a playlist of songs on the subject. These are songs about children, not for children (if you’re looking for a children’s playlist, google will find you thousands). Despite the list’s eclecticism in terms of musical style, I’ve seemed to stumble upon an unconscious thread of similarity: purity. Each song eludes to the hope and purity we admire in our young, perhaps because purity is synonymous with adolescence and it’s ever-fleeting as we age. In any case, these are the songs that have been rotating through my iPod in preparation of the big day.