Now It's Time To Sing Along

I know some of you will complain about REM. Call the singer "whiny", the music "dodgy", etc. That's fine. You don't have to like it, this is America. I can tolerate your intolerance.
I do, however, urge you to listen to the song once through before you turn off your speakers, because there's a story behind this song. I'm not just blasting music for yuks.

Back when I was 10, my dad had Breast Cancer. If any of you have ever been in close proximity to someone with cancer, you know that it is one of the biggest challenges anyone can face in their life. You're at war with your own body. Chemotherapy is poisoning your body so that you can continue life. It's a continual civil war. It tears you apart --- and I'm not referring to scalpels, here.

Dad burned a CD of this song. Only this song. And he would listen to it on repeat. Micah got pretty sick of it, but he was only 8 at the time... he didn't really understand. I was 10... I didn't understand very well, either. But I never complained about this song, because it made Daddy feel better. Sometimes it made Daddy cry. I did know there was some reason, yet elusive to my mind, that he played this song again and again.

Now I think I understand, at least a little bit. 
I think everyone who's had a huge health issue could understand.

Music has the power to heal in ways science can't really explain. It's a psychological thing. And now that I've got my own battle to fight, I'm rediscovering that songs can be extremely powerful. I knew it before, of course. Music has always swept me off my feet. This song in particular uplifts a part of my spirit that often drags in the dirt behind me. The lyrics touch little places in my heart that I'm used to only my closest friends and mentor touching. It's like the song knows me.

When the day is long and the night,
the night is yours alone,
When you're sure you've had enough of this life,
well hang on
Don't let yourself go,
'cause everybody cries
and everybody hurts sometimes
Sometimes everything is wrong.
Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone,
If you feel like letting go,
When you think you've had too much of this life,
well hang on
'Cause everybody hurts.
Take comfort in your friends
Everybody hurts.
Don't throw your hand.
Oh, no. Don't throw your hand
If you feel like you're alone,
you are not alone
If you're on your own in this life,
the days and nights are long,
When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on
Well, everybody hurts sometimes,
Everybody cries.
And everybody hurts sometimes
And everybody hurts sometimes.
So, hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on


Everybody hurts. You are not alone


~"Everybody Hurts", by REM