“Life always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment. This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addition, every piece of garbage, every breath. Every moment is the guru.” ~ Charlotte Joko Beck

~

Some of my favorite memories as a young adult involved going to concerts: Suzanne Vega, Elton John, Billy Joel, Thompson Twins, Psychedelic Furs—and so many more.

I passed this love of live music to my children who are now going to concerts on their own. One of which is occurring in the next couple of weeks.

After the Manchester bombing on Monday that killed 22 people and injured 60—some of which were children—I am having a tough time thinking of going to a concert myself, much less letting anyone else I love attend without me.

I had a similar reaction after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. I was signed up to run another highly publicized running event with one of my children a month later—and I gave away our running bibs.

The possibility of a repeat attack was too scary for me. I couldn’t risk the chance that the event would be attacked. God forbid we lose our lives pursuing something fun, but unnecessary. Of course, nothing happened at that subsequent running event—and we missed an opportunity to share a unique once in a lifetime experience—because I was afraid.

Bob Dylan’s birthday is today, on 24th May.

His career took off during the 1960s and some of his songs became political anthems. During the 1960s, Dylan saw war, protests, high-level assassinations, and the birth of his son Jesse (in 1966). His song Forever Young was written as a lullaby for Jesse.

May these lyrics help us stay forever young—despite all that the universe throws our way to teach us.

Forever Young

“May God’s bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you

May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay
Forever young

Forever young
Forever young
May you stay
Forever young

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you

May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
And may you stay
Forever young

Forever young
Forever young
May you stay
Forever young

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift

May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
And may you stay
Forever young…”

~

Author: Donna Yates Kling
Image: YouTube
Editor: Sara Kärpänen