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Grief and Gratitude - ๐˜​๐‘‰​๐จ​๐‘ ๐ฐ​๐‘Œ​๐ผ ๐˜​๐‘‰​๐ฐ​๐ป​๐ฒ​๐ป​๐ญ​๐ผ

from Folk Song of the Fringe - ๐™​๐ฌ​๐ฟ ๐​๐ช​๐‘ ๐ฒ๐‘‚ ๐‘„ ๐™​๐‘‰​๐ฎ​๐‘Œ​๐พ by Two For The Show

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about

This song was written for my presentation at the 2020 Sunstone symposium, whose theme was Grief and Gratitude. Its basic message is that there's no way around grief. Everyone will experience it at one time or another. But, if you don't let go of the gratitude you feel toward the person or thing you have lost, you'll experience grace.

The 30-second instrumental at the end is a string quartet + clarinet arrangement of a favorite Mormon hymn, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, where I have played around a bit with the time signature.

lyrics

-- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- --

โ€‹v1. Life's a roller-coaster ride. It won't let up until you die.
And maybe it won't even then. Who knows what waits around the bend?
Don't be too eager to find out!

The Good Lord giveth and the Good Lord taketh away.
You're going to lose someone someday no matter how hard you pray.
And it won't be easy to bear your grief no matter how dedicated your belief.
But hold on to your gratitude, and you'll be touched by grace.

v2. Love's the answer, [or] so they say. But sometimes they don't act that way.
Just ask little Julian, whose famous dad abandoned him
because heโ€™d spread his love too thin.

The Good Lord giveth and the Good Lord taketh away.
You're going to lose something precious no matter how hard you pray.
And it won't be easy to bear your grief no matter how dedicated your belief.
But hold on to your gratitude, and you'll be touched by grace.

And sometimes it's the children who disappoint the parents by
rejecting what was taught them in their youth.

What your parents taught you, you want to believe is true.
But sometimes you come to find (that) it just doesn't work for you.
And you may feel overwhelming grief when you cast off deeply held beliefs.
But hold on to your gratitude and you'll be touched by grace.

credits

from Folk Song of the Fringe - ๐™​๐ฌ​๐ฟ ๐​๐ช​๐‘ ๐ฒ๐‘‚ ๐‘„ ๐™​๐‘‰​๐ฎ​๐‘Œ​๐พ, released July 29, 2020

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