We Can Always Come Back To This

I loved This Is Us. The TV series filled my days at a time in my life when I’d been felled by the loss of someone very dear to me. This Is Us tells the story of one family over time. We meet Mum and Dad when they meet and we see them both as much older people. They have 3 children and we learn how their lives develop from birth and onwards into adulthood.

I really liked how the characters in the series were drawn over time. We got to know them and love them for their very humanness. I thought the writing was restrained and well edited. Yes, I loved it actually.

The selection of music in This Is Us is very good. I find this particular track very moving and the song is written by a character in This Is Us who was very close to his Mum. He wrote it when she left to go live elsewhere.

The YouTube algorithm just threw the song at me. It could have thrown many others but it threw this one just now.

I adore the song. It stops me in my tracks. It moves me to tears. And tears are pouring down my face now writing this. How does music do this? It’s a human thing. A personal sign that my ears are connected to my heart. Georgia is happily licking her peanut butter filled Kong. Oblivious.

Maybe I’m moved to tears because the music enters my heart. It’s so soulful and moving. It makes me think of love and loss yes, but it also makes me feel humble and grateful and hugely inspired.

Here in my 50s, I’m more inspired than I’ve ever been before. ‘Inspired’ didn’t enter my lexicon until fairly recently. But now I’ve come to this: I feel inspired and moved to change lives. I got to thinking about who would come to my funeral and why, and I decided that what I needed and wanted to do was to make a meaningful contribution.

So what about the YouTube algorithm bringing this song to my attention today? I think I’ll take it as a sign from the Universe. The song is saying to do what the creators of This Is Us did. Do something so restrained, so beautiful, so lasting, so moving, so accurate and so good that it moves people. And in a small way it improves their lives. And the very act of creating something of lasting value for others will change and improve my life. This Is Us? Well no. Now the song must be, This Is Me.

Big Hugs, Sniffs and Licks,

Julia Savory and Georgia The Wonder Dog