F is for Fever: passion and how to reclaim it, motivated by Peggy Lee

F is for fever and Peggy Lee's song expresses how I felt about Jim from the first day we met until the day he died. I'd been listening to some sad songs and multilaterally depressing news prior to that today. While doing so I happened upon Peggy Lee's Fever -- Thanks to David Choi who mentioned another song of hers on twitter: "Is That All there Is."

(David, you have a new fan re: "Hey Jude" and Nat King Cole--more on that later). So, soon into "Fever," I felt healthy, vibrant and full of life as I recalled the source of these feelings.

I hadn't thought about Lee's version of passion -- love, yes -- in my marriage since that day in June 2010 that stripped it away ...until now. Maybe I was afraid to, thinking it would be too much to miss that too. And I would say passion came second to soul and mind connectedness and friendship. But I underestimated its importance.

It only took seconds for the the song to invigorate and rejuvenate me.

Before my husband and I met, I experienced diluted and convoluted  forms of love and passion and envious of those who had the "real deal." -- as was Jim.

And now when I witness this in other couples on comparatively rare occasion, it makes me smile...rather than be sad. In other words...it stuck because it became a part of me, even as it lied buried.

This shows me that I can reclaim that sense of aliveness I felt and reaffirm it from external sources -- maybe even funnel it again in a creative way. 

May you find your fever too and embrace it. 

I had not realized how many times the song Fever had been remade as its lyrics held no copyright.

Ray Charles and Natalie Cole's version is another version I like. I like that the older version's allow you to define "Fever" in your mind. I can't say that Beyonce Knowles or Lady Gaga's version are in sync with the imagery of Romeo & Juliet or Pocahontas & John Smith or leave anything to the imagination via their videos.