Songs of the Soul by Christina Smith

By Christina Smith

A few weeks ago, I was listening to the local rock station when a song came on that I have loved since the first time I heard it.

It is called "Brighter Side of Grey" by Five Finger Death Punch. Even though I have heard the song more times than I can remember, it hit me in a more personal way this time.

On May 19th, I found out that my Uncle Larry had passed away. It was a shock, as I had spoken with him on the phone in April and made plans to visit him and my aunt the first weekend in June.

Even though he had been going through treatment for leukemia, he lost a large amount of weight quickly and was told his body was attacking healthy cells. In April, he was so weak he couldn't go downstairs to his music room. As someone who learned to play the saxophone well enough to make it into the Air Force Band after high school, music was always a large part of his life.

For anyone not familiar with the song, I am including the lyrics below:

I'm writing this in case I'm gone tomorrow

I'm writing this in case I've moved along

There's something that I hope you'll remember

That life is not a game, it's a song

So take the best parts of me

Locked away without the keys

And know that I'm forever by your side

When the lights go down

Know that I am never far away

When the sun burns out

I'll be waiting on the brighter side of grey

If you're reading this, I know you're feeling sorrow

If you're hearing this, I know you're probably scared

Just know that all the things you want are borrowed

And all you get to keep is all you've shared

So wipe away the tears for me

Know that we've made history

Remember no one ever really dies

When the lights go down

Know that I am never far away

When the sun burns out

I'll be waiting on the brighter side of grey

When the lights go down

Know that I am never far away

When the sun burns out

I'll be waiting on the brighter side of grey

Source: Musixmatch

As soon as the vocals started, I immediately started crying as I could picture my uncle saying something similar to this to me and all of his loved ones.

After they took him off the ventilator, he was conscious for 12 minutes and was able to say goodbye to his family after letting them know that if he wasn't going to get well enough to play his sax and his flute, he was ready to go home.

This was a good reminder that even in the aftermath of losing a loved one, we know there is hope that we will be together again. Even if we can't see our loved ones, we carry them with us in our hearts and memories.