One Foot in Front of the Other, my Darling
I woke up this morning with a tune in my head. To be completely vulnerable, the previous couple of days have been full of tears and hurt and struggle. And I think our subconscious knows more of what we need than we can even realize. So the tune goes,
“One foot in front of the other my darling…. Frailty is a friend that makes you sleep ‘til the morning…”
Once I awoke to the words I was actually repeating to myself, sudden comfort swept over me. Frailty is a friend. Our human-ness is actually a gift. We weren’t designed to be fearless, to be invincible, or even to be able to carry all of our own burdens. We’re meant to be able to share them, to give them up to God and to others so that we share our stories and struggles. We were designed to be able to let things go before others so that we can receive their comfort and healing touch. This is what it means to be human.
If you’ve seen Inside Out, you know it’s a creative Disney movie that is strikingly profound in its message about the human condition and emotions. Joy and Sadness are personified as two of the main characters. Joy is a bouncy, fun encourager, while Sadness is a blue (literally), mopey grumbler. Sadness often points out the melancholic side of each situation, and when she gets a hold of “core memories” and turns them all blue, the main character (Riley) who the “emotions” live in finds her whole world full of sorrow. [Spoiler alert] However, it isn’t until the end of the movie that Joy realizes that Sadness is actually necessary for Riley to experience so that she can truly be restored again by the gentle touch of her family and friends.
I understand that this movie is meant to be kind of silly and fun. And it is. But it also touches to the core of who we are. Whenever I watch it, I find myself resonating deeply with Sadness. Living with two invisible illnesses these past eight years seem to turn everything blue at times, making it an uphill battle to figure out what to do next, how to pick up my sore, tired body, and how to still be open and live well in my new normal.
So back to the song. As I was getting ready this morning to go to the hospital for day 2 of 4 blood plasma infusions, I listened to the full song my subconscious had been singing to me. It’s called Palm Lines by a wonderfully refreshing band named Lowland Hum. I could go through what I love about every single line of this song. But overall, to me, the song is about the beauty of confiding in another person. We’re walking through life knowing we’re not doing it alone, in full recognition of the frailty and instability of life, and choosing to take one step at a time together. We must acknowledge the dry valley we are all in during this shelter in place, and yet see ahead that steady rain is coming to bring about new life and new healing. Though we have to search harder for it now, may we find peace, strength and courage to face the suffering head on in this season. I pray this would be music not just to your ears, but to your soul.
Check out the video here and I’ve posted the full lyrics of Palm Lines below.
Walking through cold, tall grass
You held out your hand like a teacup turned skyward
Palm lines mirrored the rise and fall of the land
We imagined ourselves tiny in your hand
Climbing the terrain of your soft skin
Meanwhile, carried forward safely within
One foot in front of the other, my darling
Lift up your face so the sun can shine on it
Frailty is a friend who makes you sleep ’til the morning
The mountain is high but it’s floating on the ocean
Weariness hitchhiker was our guest all year
Let me look into your palm again!
If I lose my sight, will the shadow draw me in?
One foot in front of the other, my darling
Lift up your face so the sun can shine on it
Frailty is a friend who makes you sleep until the morning
The valley is dry but a steady rain is coming
One foot in front of the other, my darling
