Joyful Things

A few times in our lives, when we’re very lucky, we stumble onto something that speaks directly to our soul. Sometimes it’s music, other times it’s art, or a person, or an activity, or simply the breathtaking wonder of something in the natural world. And when we find these things, it is vitally, critically important that we never let the experience go.

I’ve been lucky enough to find one of these things recently, and it came in the form of a song titled simply “She” by an artist called Dodie.

Now, this isn’t a review of the song, or a call to follow a particular artist, and I promise I’ll get to the point here in a minute, but I do want to describe the song for you. Because only one other song has ever resonated this deeply with who I am as a person, and the experience permanently marked me both times.

“She” is quiet. And instrumentally simple. Lyrically, it tells the story of someone so in love that she can only describe her feelings though metaphors of smell and taste. It is melancholy, and joyous, and triumphant, and utterly, devastatingly, painful all at the same time. For me, in this era of my life, it sounds like my soul.

As I said before, I’ve only experienced this level of connection with a piece of music one other time in my life. It’s a beautiful, wonderful feeling, and holding on to these types of experiences can bring us real peace when things inevitably get dark.

Now, hopefully, as I was describing this song and what it does for me, you thought back to something in your life that does the same thing for you. If not, take a moment now and find one. I truly believe that each of us has a small number of these moments in our histories that shine brighter than the rest. Take this time to think back and bask in the glow.

So, what’s the point of this post?

Honestly, that was it.

Usually my writing comes with a tip or an experience that illustrates how I think we can be better, or happier, or shows us a way we can better take care of those around us. This one has none of that. I just want you to take the opportunity to remember something pure and wonderful in your life and let yourself feel it. Maybe that thing is your children, or your family, or your friends, or a book, or a song or….well, you get the picture.

Life is hard. But it is also brilliantly, wonderfully beautiful. Try not to forget that.

I’ll leave you with the final lines from “She.”

And she smells like lemongrass and sleep;

She tastes like apple juice and peach;

You would find her in a polaroid picture;

And she means everything to me;

Yes she means everything to me;

She means everything to me.

“She” by Dodie

Thanks for reading, you’ve got this,

-Ian