Hi friends -
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, my current favorite podcast is Wiser Than Me - hosted by Julia Louis Dreyfus. Julia interviews women who are in their 70s, 80s, and 90s and asks for their wisdom and insight into life.
It’s in its second season, and I listen to it religiously every week.
Recently, Julia interviewed 74-year-old music legend Bonnie Raitt. You can catch the full episode right here.
Bonnie talks a lot about her life - what inspires her songwriting, her journey of sobriety, and how she has grown and evolved over the years.
Bonnie also shares the back story of her beloved song, Just Like That.
Just Like That is one of my favorite Bonnie Raitt songs - but despite hearing it a hundred times, I’ve never listened closely to the words.
I almost hesitate to share the back story with you here because it’s actually super depressing, especially for a Monday morning when most of us are at peak sadness.
So, if you are a wreck after reading this, just remember that I gave you fair warning…
Basically, the song tells the story of a mom in her car with her child. The mom makes a split-second decision that results in a car accident that tragically kills her child.
Devastated and grief-stricken, the woman goes into a deep depression and becomes a complete recluse for many years.
The gut-wrenching chorus of the song says,
And just like that, your life can change
If I hadn't looked away
My boy might still be with me now
He'd be 25 today
Years later, a man tries to find the grieving mother. When he eventually does, he knocks on the door of her home.
When she answers the door, he tells her he was the recipient of a heart transplant that saved his life — and shared that the heart he received belonged to her little boy.
The mom embraces the man and says, “I lay my head upon his chest, and I was with my boy again.”
(I said it was depressing)
The part of the song that sticks with me the most are the painfully true words - “Just like that, your life can change.”
I’m confident that I’m not alone in saying that I’ve had a few “just like that” moments in my life.
Moments when the rug of comfort and security was pulled from beneath me — and I was instantly in a place of grief, sadness, and confusion.
In those moments, there is often no solace or silver lining to be found. Meaning-making feels desperately out of reach.
The hard truth is that, more often than not, there isn’t a clear reason for the inevitable pain that accompanies life.
However, I’ve found solace in the fact that night eventually ends- and light quietly slips in.
The song closes out with these powerful lyrics:
I spent so long in darkness
Never thought the night would end
But somehow, grace has found me
And I had to let him in.
One of the greatest honors of being a therapist is the opportunity to witness our clients' pain and grief while keeping a keen eye open for the hope and light that might be on the horizon.
We are given the unique task of helping our clients learn how to tolerate suffering, identify ways to heal and self-soothe, and perhaps borrow hope from the many who have navigated similar roads before them.
Of course, being a therapist doesn’t make us immune to our own experiences of pain, loss, and suffering. For that reason, if this message finds you today in a season of grief, know that eventually, the night will end, and light will find you.
I’m sure of it.
If you have any thoughts or reflections you’d like to share with me today - I’d be honored to hear them.
Warmly,
Rachel
Rachel McCrickard, LMFT
CEO/Co-Founder, Motivo
rachel@motivohealth.com
That is such a beautiful description of our role as a therapist Rachel, and a very moving story. Thanks for sharing ❤