Stay Humble and Kind

To say that I’m a music fan is the understatement of the century.   If you knew me personally you would know that although I cannot carry a tune; the music itself speaks to me.   It simply touches my heart and finds a way to transcend into my soul.    It doesn’t matter whether I’m happy, sad or somewhere else on the emotional journey we all travel; music speaks more effectively than I ever hope to.   Maybe one of the reasons music is so powerful is that we tend to associate it with the events in our lives    Certain songs become markers of the happiest and saddest days.

I’ll never forget the first time I heard Tim McGraw’s song Humble and Kind.   Looking back, I think I saw it more than I heard it; which sent the song to live forever in my heart……

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to connect with a gentleman that was in desperate need of a lung transplant.    I had known him for many years as an acquaintance and liked him.  He always wore a smile; his hugs were warm and genuine.

His humor was infectious, and I laughed continuously when I was with him.  Several times he swore I tried to kill him as I was helping to change oxygen tanks or get the tanks to a new location, so they would provide the saving supplement for him.   He would always embellish the tales to make them seem much worse and much funnier than they ever were.   He just had that knack.

He had lived a life that was colorful and full of memories; he would recall them with laughter and tears; according to the memory he was sharing at the time.  When I entered his life on a more personal level there was hope that the transplant would come through in time and his life would change dramatically in many ways.  The oxygen he carried with him everywhere would disappear.  He was always a touch embarrassed that people would stop and stare at him “as if he was sick”, his words not mine.       But most importantly, he would live to see his only daughter married and would escort her down the aisle on her magical day.

That day would never come for him.   He would see her married on Father’s Day from the confines of his hospital bed, forsaking the mask that made it easy for him to breathe for the better look of nasal cannula.   His fight for breath was over in the early morning hours, two days later.

I could write a book sharing memories and thoughts of 72 days.   You see that’s how long I was immersed in his life on a more personal level.   Those 72 days changed me forever.    I like to think they made me a better person and have allowed me to appreciate the people in my life more deeply and with more love.    I like to think his journey and those 72 days made me realize that life truly is short, and we should grab it with both hands and throw our heart and soul into it.

I have digressed regarding the song Humble and Kind, but you needed to understand the premise.   The first time I saw the song, I saw his lips moving as he softly sang along to the video on tv.   The song punched me as I saw him so serious and immersed in the lyrics.   I did not question him after the song quieted but you could see so much in his face and eyes.  I have often thought he was looking at his life through those lyrics and thinking of things he might have done differently and reminiscing of things he had done right.  As his breathing grew more difficult and the oxygen delivering apparatuses became more complicated, he would still mouth the words of the song every time he heard it.  It spoke to him and it spoke to me watching him.

I can only guess and assume the things he might have been thinking as he listened to the song and mouthed the lyrics.   The song is so simple and reminds us to be kind and thoughtful to those we share the world with.   I often wonder as he neared the end of his journey was he helping “the next one in line”?

Our lives like his was, are complicated and full of things we have wished for as well as things we haven’t wished for.    Our days can be complex and challenging; filled with disappointments as well as laughter.    What are we projecting to those around us?    Are we offering them an opportunity to shine?    A moment to laugh with us and perhaps at us?   Are we encouraging them instead of tearing them down?  Do we simply take a deep breath and be thankful for it?  There are those who cannot breathe.  Are we looking for the joy in each day?  Are we embracing our lives; ever thoughtful that tomorrow is a not a promise?

Are you?

Listen to Tim McGraw’s song Humble and Kind.   Sit in the moment and really hear the words and be reminded…..

“Always stay humble and kind.”