A Bridge Over Troubled Water

I just read through my last blog post, and had to laugh at how abruptly I signed off. It was, like, "Blah blah blah blah, blah blah...oh...um...more later, bye!"  Yeah. I was THAT uncomfortable.  But, as predicted, it didn't last long.  Light and momentary. 

Today, I am catching up on schoolwork.  Which, if you think about it, is pretty sad considering I've been back in school less than a month. How can I already be behind? 

In any case, I just wanted to stop by because I have a song that has been going through my head and I wanted to share it.  I wanted to share it, in particular, because I know that I have a few friends who are hurting right now, and my heart is with them.  Such a helpless place to be, heart-connected to a friend who is hurting. It's a privileged place to be as well.  The song that I have been hearing in my heart today is Simon & Garfunkle's Bridge Over Troubled Water.  There is a line in it that expresses so clearly how and when pain can wash over us.  The line is, "When evening falls, so hard, I will comfort you."

I can identify with the picture of evening falling hard.  I know that many of you do, too.  We can be fine all day, but when evening falls, be it with a crash, a thud, a crumple or a slow slide into sadness, it falls hard.  Morning feels very far away. And we feel alone.

I have felt the shuddering collapse of the falling evening.  After Mum died, I used to wear a scarf to bed, the one that she gave me for my birthday, just before she died.  I'd fall asleep crying, wrapped in the soft colours of the scarf, clutching her piece of black coral that I wore around my neck. 

Please know that every evening you are in my thoughts and prayers.  Whatever is happening, and I don't need to know because God does, I wrap you in prayer and love.  Of course I long to do more, but what I can do is leave you in the hands of the One who can do everything. 

You are precious in ways you cannot yet imagine. None of us can.  There is great wonder in that. Joy does come in the morning, no matter how hard evening falls.  You are in my heart and prayers.

Paul Simon & Art Garfunkle, Bridge Over Troubled Waters

25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert,

Madison Square Gardens, NYC

October, 2009