Every Little Bit of It
This has been my song of the last week or so.
Every Little Bit of It by Carrie Newcomer.
According to Apple Music, I’ve played it at least 25 times in the last week or so.
Just beyond my sight,
Something that I cannot see,
I've been circling around a thought,
That's been circling round me.
Like the vapor of a song,
That is just out of earshot,
And I thought I knew the question,
But I guess not.There it is just below the surface of things,
In a flash of blue, and the turning of wings.
Drain the glass, drink it down, every moment
of this,
Every little bit of it, every little bit.I swam against the tide,
I tripped on my own pride,
So I'll try again today,
To get out of my own way.
The face was always in the stone,
Said Michelangelo,
We just have to chip and clear,
To see what is already there.There it is just below the surface of things,
In a flash of blue, and the turning of wings.
Drain the glass, drink it down, every moment
of this,
Every little bit of it, every little bit.There it is in the apple of every new notion,
There it is in the scar healed over what was
broken,
In the branches, in the whispering, in the
silence and the sighs,
And the curious promise of limited time.
It's true although it's hard,
A shadow glides over the ridge.
And one fast beating heart,
Tries with all its might to live.
We sense but can't describe,
From the corner of our eye
Something nameless and abiding,
And so we keep transcribing.There it is just below the surface of things,
In a flash of blue, and the turning of wings.
Drain the glass, drink it down, every moment
of this,
Every little bit of it, every little bit.
Every little bit of it.
One of the things I have learned about myself is that music helps me to unlock feelings. I’m one of those types who struggles to understand these “F-words” that spring up throughout moments in life. My default is more to just think my way through things rather than to engage these crazy feelings of joy, anger, sadness, happiness, gratitude, and so forth. It is easier to just try to stay stoic rather than be in touch with what is happening in my body as well. I am grateful for times, however, when has been the unlocking key - such as when I shared this in 2018. And now, this song is another key to unlocking what’s below the surface of things for me.
This song spoke to me to go into the depth of life - to not just stay on the surface but instead to draw upon the fullness of this crazy thing called life. Drain the glass, drink it down, every moment of this, every little bit of it... Part of that is recognizing that there’s something deeper than what is taking place on the surface of my experiences - how am I feeling, what emotions are stirring, and so forth.
These photos feel like emotions to me. At my daughter’s college this week, I discovered the connection between one of the school’s logos and then this pattern on the glass of the front of the chapel which is also shown in the sign in front and even appearing as a shadow and the shape of the door. I could have simply seen the pattern on one of the areas but in fact taking a deeper look made me realize that there was a connection on all the levels.
A similar thing happened as we took our son to school. As we were walking with him around campus, my wife mentioned the campus prayer labyrinth which we had walked right by. I had seen it previously and thought it was simply a paved circle patio and didn’t think much of it. But when I went back to look, not only did I see the sign saying “prayer labyrinth” but I saw the pattern inset in the bricks. The labyrinth, however, really needs a power washing as the bricks are all moss and dirt covered and it takes some pretty significant attention to see the looping pathways through it. That is me in a big way - there’s a lot of me that hides my emotions and my connection with my body and it takes a LOT of slowing down and attentiveness to see what’s there and get below the “surface of things.”
So right now, there’s a LOT stirring beneath the surface of things for me. There’s excitement for the new paths that are ahead. There’s anxiety of the unknown of what the future holds. There’s hopefulness of the incredible gifts that these two young adults are bringing to the world. There’s sadness that we have moved into this new stage. There’s happiness for them both finding places for school that sure seem like they are wonderful fits and places for them to grow in amazing ways. And there’s love...lots of love for this family with which I have been blessed - these two amazing young people, our third who is beginning junior year and will be embarking on this similar journey very very soon, and my dear wife for whom I am so joyful and grateful to share this life.
