Painting

As I spent the afternoon alone working on my room painting project, I had my Pandora radio station playing.  It was set on the usual Acapella inspired channel I usually have it on.  While I was paintstakingly working on the trim, a song came on called "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry.  I tuned in on the lyrics and several of the verses struck me.  It's written from the perspective of the person who dies and I immediately thought of Ellison.  Here are a few of the verses that spoke to me: 

"Lord make me a rainbow, I’ll shine down on my mother
She’ll know I’m safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh and
Life ain’t always what you think it ought to be, no
ain’t even grey, but she buries her baby"

"The sharp knife of a short life, well
I’ve had just enough time"

"The ballad of a dove
Go with peace and love
Gather up your tears, keep ‘em in your pocket
Save them for a time when you're really gonna need ‘em oh"

It's kind of funny how you find yourself listening more closely to songs and thinking about their meanings after experiencing tragedies and sad events.  Perhaps during our quests for understanding we pay more attention to subtle and veiled thoughts being conveyed in song, and in every other facet of life really.  But as I listened to this particular song's lyrics, the verse about the rainbow and the phrase about the "ballad of a dove" spoke to me.  See, I missed the gorgeous rainbows that sprung up in the area the other night after a storm.  So I will imagine that the next time that I do see a rainbow, it will be Ellison shining down on me as my guardian angel.  I'll know she is safe and in good company.  And that life is not what I think it ought to be anymore because she is safe in others' company rather than in our company.  But I can hold onto the fact that I believe that she did go with peace and love like a dove.  She knows she is loved...and maybe one day I'll hear her song if I listen closely.