gramma's song (let it be)
My grandma (aka Gramma) was an incredible lady.
She was spunky, loving, hilarious, wise and feisty. She put family first, generously taking care of all of us. People just smiled when she walked in the room. She was always cracking jokes and her laugh was contagious.
She would come out to my shows with her walker, screaming out for “Bobby McGee” and “Let It Be,” drinking highballs and margaritas, and flirting with all the cute boys. She loved her soap operas and game show network. She could play the boogie woogie on the piano like nobody’s business. Her lively spirit was always an inspiration to me.
In January 2015, Gramma had a stroke. She lost her ability to form coherent sentences and much of her mobility.
The whole family was scared and upset, yet when we went to visit her, she was just smiling and laughing. One of the last things that she wrote on her Facebook wall before she had her stroke was “God has been good to me!”
That was how Gramma saw life. Even though she was in a challenging position, she didn’t let it get her down.
God is good, All the time.
whispered words of wisdom
I have two vivid memories from that final year of her life. Though most of her words were jumbled, she didn't let that stop her from dropping some parting words of wisdom to me.
One day that summer, she pulled me close and whispered clearly “Go with the wind.” Then in the fall, she told me “You gotta live.” These words have echoed in my being since then.
Gramma joined the angels in the fall of that year.
Since her passing, Gramma has visited me in the most magical ways. Sometimes she comes in the form of a flitting butterfly in front of my window saying hello or giving me comfort. Whenever I really needed some guidance, her favorite song “Let It Be” by The Beatles would mysteriously come on the radio, play over the restaurant speaker, or be the choice of the live acoustic guitar player on the street. It gives me chills thinking about every time she has graced me in this way.
When I was going through the darkest time of my life, she still found a way to break through to me. I was letting go of my marriage and learning how to face life alone. I was lost and scared. I was living in Long Beach at the time next door to a bar. I remember walking outside to take my trash out and I started talking to the bouncer at the bar. He randomly brought up his grandma and how much she meant to him. He said he felt her spirit when he went surfing in the ocean.
Then I felt the inspiration bubbling inside of me. I ran back inside my apartment and went straight to the keyboard. The words just poured out of me. It felt like Gramma was right there and almost writing the song for me. She even helped me put a little reference to The Beatles original “Let It Be” in there! It all came together in less than thirty minutes.
I let the tears flow as I realized the song was for me. For her. For us.
Gramma’s Song (Let It Be)
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I can still hear the whispers, the sound of your voice
The smiles and the laughter, your spirit of joy.
Even until the last day you had on this earth,
You gave us your wisdom. I still hear the words:
You told me not to worry, you told me not to care.
“Now go on girl, let down your hair…
And let it be simple
Let it be free
Let it be easy
Just go with the breeze.
There’s no need to worry
Cause it’s not as bad as it seems.
Baby, baby just let it be.”
I can still feel the warmth of my grandmother’s love.
Her way and her essence helps carry me on.
Even when waves around me are swallowing me up,
You break through the waters and you lift me right out.
You tell me not to worry. You tell me not to care.
“Now go on girl, let down your hair…
And let it be simple
Let it be free
Let it be easy
Just go with the breeze.
There’s no need to worry
Cause it’s not as bad as it seems.
Baby, baby just let it be.”
I hope that these words of wisdom from my dear Gramma can bring you some comfort. I know we are all in a challenging time in our world right now.
Remember we are in this together and this too shall pass.
And as Gramma said…
You gotta live.
Go with the wind.
And baby, baby… just let it be.