Summertime Is in Our Hands

Listen (and watch) while you read: (The video tells a story.)

Summertime is always on my mind
Even in the winter I want the sunshine
Feel the rain falling from above
And wash away the pain of my years gone by

Because I believe, yes, I believe, and I believe we can
Yes, I believe what I believe, and I believe
That summertime is in our hands
Yeah, hands, yeah, hands, yeah
Summertime is in our hands
. . . 

~ Bowman, McGregor, Franti (for Michael Franti & Spearhead)

Again, serendipity. In preplanning my Memorial Day Weekend blogposts, I'd decided that I wanted to include a song that celebrates the "unofficial start of summer." I came across this Michael Franti song and decided it fit the bill. I mean, who doesn't get happy when a Michael Franti song comes up? And then Gregg Allman died and threw my schedule into confusion. I substituted an Allman song yesterday and put the Franti song aside for another day.

And then, yesterday morning, I received a phone call from Dave, whose wife Kathy passed away the night before. Kathy had been a student of mine four decades ago. Two years ago, she told me she had an incurable cancer and had six months to a year to live. She wanted to have a party with some of her friends from high school, so I offered to host it. We gathered at my home and celebrated all things Kathy. She called it "Kathyfest." Kathy was a great lover of music, and I was able to obtain a video of a private performance by Ellis Paul, one of Kathy's favorite singer/songwriters, in which he speaks to Kathy and sings just for her. We all had a great time and stayed in touch.

Kathy's "six months to a year" turned into two years, during which she exhibited tremendous courage and a remarkable lack of self-pity. Dave's description of their last hours together was a story of great love and affection.

Today, I returned to the Michael Franti song and watched the video. Serendipity. "Dedicated to the healing of those who have had to say goodbye too soon." I am a member of that club, as are many of my friends, especially Amy, Allison, Bonnie, Karen, Bev . . . and now Dave.

The video accompanying the song tells a story. Don't be thrown off by the lighthearted display of vacation happiness; in the end, you will understand the point of the story, although you may want to watch more than once to get it. If you want Michael Franti to explain it to you, go to Do It for the Love, his nonprofit to offer healing and respite for those facing an untimely death. (I wish I had known about this sooner.)

Dave, I hope you find peace now that Kathy has been released from her pain. And Kathy, I hope you have a front row seat for Gregg Allman's first concert in Rock 'n Roll Heaven.

We don't dance to escape life . . . we dance to keep life from escaping us.