You’ve probably got a favorite number, right? Mine used to be 7, but I think I’m switching to 21.

I’ve always thought numbers had a lot of significance. For example, I was born on 12-12 in the year 66 (which is 12, if you add ’em up). For a long time I even thought I was born at 12, but I wasn’t. I was born at 21 minutes past the hour of 10 (and weirdly, my daughter was born in the 12 o’clock hour on 10-21). It’s become quite clear to me that in my family, the number 21 is one that keeps popping up over and over again in all the significant moments of our lives.

What I’m about to say isn’t going to sound like a coincidence, but it was, for a long time. It was something that nobody even realized for about 50 years. And then about 7 or 8 years ago, it started to dawn upon us that the number 21 seemed to be included in a lot of important events for at least the past 4 generations of my family.

My grandparents were married on April 21.

My parents got married on August 21.

My first marriage? September 21.

We figured it out, when my little sister got married, and chose to say her vows on the summer solstice. June 21.

I gave birth to my daughter on October 21 (totally naturally…about 21 minutes after midnight). Many years later, when the hormones kicked in and she started dating, that first date was January 21st.

Back in the 9th grade, the day I went on my first date with Eddie? November 21.

Five years ago, my dad called and left me a message asking if I was planning on ever returning the phone call of the guy who referred to himself as my junior high school sweetheart, because he’d called again, 27 years after our first date. It was June 21st.

And now I’m marrying that man.

Today, of course.

Because it’s the 21st.

So I’m a little busy at the moment, but not too busy to wax on about numbers and share some music with you on this amazing and wonderful day! Here’s 21 songs, all about numbers. Click on the playlist below to stream this Grooveshark Playlist!

• 1 Is The Loneliest Number – 3 Dog Night
• 2 Weeks – Grizzly Bear
• 3 Little Words – Bob Marley
• 4 Kicks – Kings of Leon
• 5 Bottles of Mambo – Yma Sumac
• 6 Cold Feet – Hugh Laurie
• 7 Days in Sunny June – Jamiroquai
• 8 Days On The Road – Aretha Franklin
• Love Potion #9 – The Clovers
• 10 Years Gone – Led Zeppelin
• 11 Days – David Byrne
• 12 Minutes To Go – Skatalites
• 13 – Elliot Smith
• 14 Rivers, 14 Floods – Beck
• 15 – Taylor Swift
• 16 Saltines – Jack White
• Sexy & 17 – Stray Cats
• 18 Wheels & A Dozen Roses – Kathy Mattea
• 19-2000 – Gorillaz
• 20 Flight Rock – Eddie Cochran
• 21 Things I Want In A Lover – Alanis Morrissette

Valerie Ing has been the Northern California Program Coordinator for Jefferson Public Radio in Redding for over a decade, and can often be found serving as Mistress of Ceremonies at the Cascade Theatre. For her, ultimate satisfaction comes from a perfect segue. She’s the mother of a teenage daughter and an adorable West Highland Terrier, and can’t imagine life without them or music.