I used to not like this song. The implication that One True Love should somehow supersede a person's entire previous life ruffled my feathers, although I appreciated the beautifully simple and distinctive drum line and the sweetness of those notes at the beginning.
But as I listened to it today, on Thanksgiving which is a holiday about love, gratitude, and the passing of time, I finally felt I got it.
It's about letting go of the many little traps of memory, both good and bad, that life and milestones present to us and, as the lyrics say, thinking of love as something new.
The song: The Beatles, "In My Life"; 1965
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On holidays it's natural to think about past years and to compare and contrast. And I'll be honest here: I sometimes find that to be a black hole of sadness. But I feel fortunate in that the sadness lies in how sad I USED to be, instead of some contemplation of what I may have lost.
There are no guarantees of happiness but it seems to me the best investment anyone could make is in their friends.
Bernie Taupin gets it right very rarely, but when he does, he does -- and today I'm thankful there are people out there like you.
The song: Elton John, "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters"; 1975
Yrs,
AW
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