Let it Be

And when the night is cloudy,
there is still a light that shines on me,
Shine on until tomorrow,
let it be.

There have been times in my life when this song has been my constant companion. There's something so calming about Paul McCartney's voice; like a rising tide, it washes over you and pulls back in its wake, all your worries, doubts and fears. For a mere 4 minutes, whatever you're going through doesn't feel as bad anymore. There's hope, a light that shines on you, warming from the inside out. That's what makes the song so compelling- that message of hope, those words of wisdom to "let it be".

When I find myself in times of trouble,
Mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom,
let it be.

Paul McCartney wrote the song for the Beatles after having a dream about his mum Mary, 10 years after she had died. He had been in personal turmoil and dreamt that she came to him with reassurances and comfort. Mother Mary, while sounding biblical in nature is actually his literal mother, Mary. 

And in my hour of darkness
she is standing right in front of me,
Speaking words of wisdom;
Let it be.

Obviously a deeply moving experience and what turned into an extremely personal song, which is why I think it's so captivating and spiritual. It's so genuine and touching, coming from such a place of love and hope, it's no wonder that it was as popular as it was and still is today. 

Let it be.

Three simple words yet sometimes that's the hardest thing in the world. When we don't have control over whatever is going on in our lives, it can make us feel helpless, frustrated, scared, and even disheartened. Darkness closes in on us and we can't seem to find our way back- lost on the black raging sea without a compass to point north. Until, that is, we spot a lighthouse in the distance and then all we have to do is follow it back into shore. McCartney's voice has always served as a lighthouse for me- a beacon of hope and happiness. There's so much we don't have control over and at some point we have to learn to put hands up, wave the white flag and stop trying to make sense of everything that happens. 

This song has been playing on repeat for the last several months as life seemed to once again spiral out of control and I struggled to put the pieces together. I'm reminded as I sit and think about how I learned this lesson the hardest way there is- sitting next to my sister as she laid in the hospital bed a couple years ago, fighting for her life, her cold limp hand wrapped in both of my worried palms. I sat there, just beside myself, struggling to understand, to wrap my head around what was happening. Everything was so dark, so grim, so absolutely devastating that it felt like I couldn't see; it was just blackness for what felt like an infinite amount of time until a small piece of hope, a little ember of light pierced the darkness and pulled me back. 


"There will be an answer, let it be."

Lines that radiate warmth and comfort, like a big hug from the sun that wraps around your entire being and doesn't let go. They speak of patience (a definite virtue but nearly impossible for people like me) but that doesn't come easy; not at least when the floor is collapsing underneath you and you're just trying to hold on. I've never had patience tested like I had in those 72 horrible hours, waiting, hoping, begging for answers to questions not even the doctors with their fancy medical degrees could answer. The hard lesson I learned is not everything can be fixed right away and sometimes nothing can be done. Not all the answers are available now. But they will be, in time. And eventually, the answers did  come, as they so often do, in the most simple if not perplexingly obvious ways. I'm reminded of that when I think back to those long hours spent in that uncomfortable chair under the fluorescent light bulbs of the ICU room. Or the moment I realized that miracles sometimes hide in the strangest of places. Not all problems in life are this severe or dramatic, but they are the ones that really stick with you, that teach you and mold you into who you are. They're the ones that come back to you when other problems or troubles arise, those little beacons of light that remind us how to get back to the shore.

What I've learned is this; learn to leave your problems behind you, learn how to move on with your life, and learn to let go. I know I'm not the first to say this and I won't be the last, but "letting go" of whatever it is we're struggling with really is hardest thing to do. Some experiences, mistakes, or people take a lot of time before it can be put behind us. Life can be tricky that way.

Sometimes we have to learn just to "let it be", and in my life, that's some of the best advice I've ever received. There's something so peaceful about giving up the reins and just existing in the current moment; to forget everything else, just for a minute, a day, a night and just BE. 

 And when the night is cloudy,
there is still a light that shines on me,
Shine on until tomorrow,
let it be.