Let It Be
“Let It Be.” Paul McCartney wrote this song and it didn’t really take on a significant meaning in my life until I met Marianne and, more importantly, until she became ill and was dying. Let it be.
What does that mean? Is it the acceptance of things you can’t control? Is it giving things up to your higher power, if you’ve connected to one, to take the reins and guide you through difficult times?
In the present moment, when I hear this song, I know that my very close friend who passed way before her time is telling me from beyond to let things happen the way they were meant to unfold. To not try to manipulate and manage what I think I have control of because, in reality, I don’t have control of many of the things coming up in my future. In the past, I have learned that lesson the hard way, when I incessantly worried and obsessed about things that were ahead of me and how I was going to fix them. It took time and lots of work, but then I realized that these things only took up space in my head, and ultimately, I had no control of the outcome. Sure, I had the power to make informed decisions to guide me toward the path I wanted to be on, but I could not completely control where things netted out.
So back to “Let It Be.” Here’s a song that used to be painful for me to hear, because it reminded me of Marianne’s sickness and death; this song was so special to her and, to commemorate her life, it was played during her wake and church service. As years have passed, I have evolved and I now understand additional meaningful aspects of this song, particularly as I have experienced my own significant health and life issues. Currently, I view “Let It Be” as a guide, a rule book so to speak, of the day-to-day events we experience: the joys and disappointments, the lessons we learn, particularly the moments when we need to rise up (most times, unexpectedly) and be more than we thought we were capable of being.
Unfortunately, some days are not good ones, plain and simple, and you wish they would go away; you look forward to them ending and pray that tomorrow will be a bit better. So one place to turn is to “Let It Be”! What’s interesting is the juxtaposition of what this song can be to me versus so many others. That’s the beauty of what music is for us. A way of listening to a song you’ve connected with and interpreting and ingraining it within your life so that it’s etched into your soul, your inner core and it helps you to feel settled, soothed and inspired. Or for others, perhaps it’s just a song, a random piece of music to sing along to on the radio. Either way, if you connect to the lyrics of a particular song and find them to be moving, especially if they help you during a difficult journey, this can be very powerful—so let this bring you comfort. Today and every day I feel grateful for so many things: to have known Marianne, for her husband and her children, and the personal growth that has allowed me to “let it be.”