Finding the Beauty in Life

All stories have a plot; those plot lines are what capture audience’s world wide.  Those plot lines can take an audience from one world to another using visual effects – bright and dark colors, loud or extremely soft sounds and dialect. But what happens when all visuals are taken away?  What happens when all the audience can do is hear what is going on?

       We all interpret things differently, but when all you have to go off of is words, meanings change and the plot is contorted to each individuals mind set. I found out recently the song “The Crow and the Butterfly” was written by Brent Smith, the lead singer of Shinedown, because he had a dream about a mother whose son passes away. He wrote the song about the mom dealing with the death of her child and trying to move on^[1]. Brent Smith said this about the song: "For me lyrically this was one of the most intense stories I have ever written. But I know the song means something different to everyone" ^[1] . For me this song is about much more.

“I painted your room at midnight
So I'd know yesterday was over
I put all your books on the top shelf
Even the one with the four leaf clover”

Trying to cover up the past, where you’re luck had just run out, and you don’t know what to do. I’ve had my moments where I wish I could just start over with a blank slate, but if I had where would I be now, who would I be now? As for the four leaf clover, I’ve never found one. Who’s to say that no one person can create their own luck, I know I have.

“Man, I'm getting older
I took all your pictures off the wall
And wrapped them in a newspaper blanket
I haven't slept in what seems like a century”

       I’m changing; you’re changing too believe it or not. We all must move forward in life, take our pictures down wrap them for safe keeping and continue our journey wherever that may be. Time is as precious as life, to the last breath. We’ve all come face-to-face with death, it’s no fun. I know, more than anything in the world I’m afraid of dying in a car crash. I don’t want my last memory to be a huge blur, to feel that pain, to hear those screams- screams coming from my throat. A taunting dream I’ve had before that left me restless for many nights.

“Your words still serenade me
Your lullabies won't let me sleep
I've never heard such a haunting melody
Oh, it's killing me
You know I can barely breathe”

Honor those who have passed, even in troubling times, grieving times. Remembering the past is never easy, but if one can look passed their pain and mistakes, they will find out how strong they truly are. I’ve done this myself it’s a painful mental experience.  I thought mostly the question how. How could this happen now? How do I ease the pain? How can I find myself while I’m in the dark and my last match has fallen out of my pocket? All I wanted was for it to be over, but it lasted for months.

“Just like a crow chasing the butterfly
Dandelions lost in the summer skies
When you and I were getting high as outer space
I never thought you'd slip away
I guess I was just a little too late”

The beauty of life can’t out run the grace of death, just like a crow chasing a butterfly. The little details in life are too easily over looked, dandelions lost in the summer sky. I faltered because I never thought about how the things that mean the most can be taken away so quickly, I realize this now but can you?

This song stands for life itself. It draws me in and tells a story that I believe everyone could find if they were willing to listen. With the slow somber melody during the verses pulling at the emotions behind the lyrics you feel as if it’s a story about you. As the chorus plays it brings to life the real meaning of the song.  To often do we just walk through life missing the small details that, once remembered, may mean the most to us. Take time to stop and stare up at the sky, and maybe you’ll see “The Crow and the Butterfly.”