I love this so much. That you were vulnerable enough to share so much of yourself. That you care enough for others to open your heart and arms to them with words and authentic experience.
As I was reading, my mind was pulling me towards “The Invitation” by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. One line in particular kept coming up: “I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.”
What a beautiful thing to wonder.
The book is a long piece of poetry that asks the hard questions and yearns for the deep connection with another. It shuns the surface where so much is missed in a quick passing by. It invites us to really see another and let ourselves be seen.
And I think that one of your points in your story was that very thing. To feel seen or held or recognized by something or someone.
That is the point of this life. To be a witness for others. To let them know they matter.
Susan, what a deeply thoughtful comment....thank you so much for sharing this. That line from The Invitation gave me chills… “to sit with pain, mine or your own…”—yes, that’s it. That’s the heart of it. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply be there, without trying to fix, just holding space.
Your reflection captured exactly what I was trying to say-that feeling of being understood, even by something as intangible as music, can be life-altering. And I agree being a witness to each other’s pain and joy, and letting ourselves be seen… it might just be the most human thing we do.
The longer I am here in this world the more I believe our purpose is exactly that. To be a witness for what others need to release, to set down, to finally say that this heavy and consuming is no longer needed. And you are the blessed one who is there to affirm it and help them set it aside should they ask.
Sometimes we are here just to scream a song at the top of our lungs. Other times it is to cry with them and whisper, “you matter, you are worthy of love, you are so essential to this world.”
And still other times we write our stories for others to read and send them out into the ether with the hope that they will reach the eyes and hearts that need them. As you have done.
We are connected by these threads of fate and common experiences. Hope and love and joy and peace can be the safety net for pain to fall into. And when it does, when it is enveloped by those things, when it feels safe and knows it isn’t being evicted but incorporated and loved as part of the whole…healing begins.
It will change the way you see things. Absolutely life changing. I cried when I read it the first time because of the connection it made to the most essential part of me.
I am not my pain, what reinforces me from being broken from life's issues is music. It's a way of living and feeling like my own..like me. This article is so personal and good.
Thank you so much Raj, that means a lot. I feel the same way about music. It has a way of giving us back parts of ourselves when life tries to take them away. I’m really touched that this piece resonated with you. You’re right...music isn’t just sound, it’s a way of living, of feeling like you 💛
Jo , this is powerful and beautiful and sacred space. Thank you for opening your heart and sharing your story. I think writing may be a go to for you as well as music. Definitely a gift. A few years ago, I was roaming around on Anna’s playlist and found the song, “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian. Full of angst, I asked her how she found that song. She said she was just randomly searching and loved it. I told her, “ I think you and I would’ve been friends.” ❤️
Pam, oh wow, what a touching memory. Thank you for sharing that. “At Seventeen” is one of those songs that just knows. Full of quiet ache and truth. I love what you told Anna “I think you and I would’ve been friends” there’s something so healing about that kind of recognition across generations, hearts connecting through music and meaning. And yes, I think writing is absolutely becoming a lifeline for me, too. Sending love back your way ❤️
P.S. Just a little note—I’m Salwa, not Jo 😊 But I felt every word you shared, and I’m so grateful for your kindness. ❤️
So beautiful, Salwa. I resonated with much of your story. It made me think of my own horrific teenage years and how I, too, thought the world would be better off without me. How wonderful that those years are far behind us, and we can look back and see the lessons, the reason for hardships. It's all part of the journey. The universe has a warped sense of humour, doesn't it ;)
Thank you so much for this kind and thoughtful comment Marcia. It means a lot to know that the story resonated with you and I’m really glad we both made it through those dark teenage years. You're so right... the universe *does* have a warped sense of humour sometimes. But here we are, still standing, still growing. Grateful to be walking this journey alongside others who truly get it. ❤️
Thank you Salwa for a beautiful share. As a teenager, listening to music was my portal to an imagined life in which I was beautiful, free, and joyful. I was lonely, and very introverted but when I was curled up on the sofa, listening to the radio, in the dark, I was a dancing queen. 💫💛🙏
Susan, this is so beautifully said thank you for sharing that. I could picture it so clearly: the dark room, the music, and you becoming that dancing queen. Music really does give us a way to feel seen, even when no one else is looking. I’m so glad it gave you that portal to joy and freedom. 💛
This resonated strongly with me just like other commenters. I also battled ideation but never got to the point of an attempt. Music would help me manage at times too, although the mood, style and sound of the music varied based on the day.
As I read your piece, I tried to reflect on why this was, and then something you wrote seemed to give me an answer. You mentioned that when we're at our darkest we're not looking to be fixed, we just want someone to sit with and hear us. Certain songs put to words exactly what you're feeling. You feel heard by a singer you've never met, strumming your pain with their fingers and singing your life with their words. Thanks for a beautifully written and heartfelt piece.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful and heartfelt reflection Claude. I really felt every word you wrote. It’s powerful how music can meet us exactly where we are...no fixing, no pressure, just understanding. That feeling of being heard, even by a voice you’ve never met, can be life-saving. I’m deeply touched this piece resonated with you. Thank you for sharing a piece of your story with me. 💛
I saw evanescence in concert a few years ago and I had tears flowing . Her songs helped me feel so understood , and got me through my dark undiagnosed depression in high school.
That must have been such an emotional experience..just reading that gave me goosebumps. I completely relate. Evanescence was like a lifeline for me too during my darkest moments. There’s something about Amy Lee’s voice that feels like it reaches straight into your soul. I’m so glad this piece spoke to you. Thank you for sharing this with me. 💜
Same here Sam. There was something about their lyrics....raw, real, and unfiltered that made me feel less alone in the chaos. It’s powerful how music can hold us like that, especially when words from people couldn’t. I’m really glad they were there for you too. 🖤
What a moving piece, Salwa! Thank you for sharing your vulnerability and for teaching us the hard lessons through your gorgeous words. Music is truly one of the most powerful things on the planet, and the fact that it allowed us to receive your stunning words is the icing on the cake! ❤️
Thank you so much Lisa, that means a lot to me. Music really does have a way of unlocking truths we don’t always know how to say, and I’m so grateful it helped me find the words to tell this story. Sending love your way ❤️
Aw, Salwa, thanks for being vulnerable. You're a strong and insightful person. 🌻I identify with so much of you said - both the life-long struggles with anxiety and depression and the love of music. In fact, I cannot imagine my life without music - it's the mainstay that soothes, inspires, brings joy, excitement, and creativity. 🎶
My dear Lisa, thank you so much for this kind message 🌻 I feel the same...music has always been my anchor through the highs and lows. It’s comforting to know others feel that deep connection too. Grateful we can share that love here. 🎶❤️
Linkin park, the corrs, evanescence, they also helped me cope with life years ago when my life was dark and I felt eternally lost. I also drank heavily back then inorder to feel like I belonged. Later, I began to appreciate a life of sobriety and light seeped into my life. I realised that I had some choice and choices in my life situation, and that I could change things one choice at a time.
Thank you so much for sharing this...your journey is powerful. It’s incredible how music can be a lifeline in the darkest moments, like someone holding your hand when no one else could reach you. I’m so glad you found your way to the light, one choice at a time. That kind of shift is nothing short of courageous. ❤️
Linkin Park and Evanesance provide me peace when I have the darkness overcome me as an adult. During my own teenage years, they were just jams. As an adult, I listen to the music for what it is and it does help heal. Thanks for sharing.
Aurelia, thank you so much for sharing that...it's amazing how music can take on a whole new meaning as we grow. What once felt like just a vibe becomes a lifeline. I feel that deeply. Sending love your way 💛
Music was also my solace when I was a suicidal and depressed teenager. Portishead, Dream Theater and all sorts of genres. They provided me some sort of release. I also realise the things I designed and created were beautiful but super dark. I'm no longer in that space only because I found tools to manage my emotions, my triggers and lotsa therapy. A great post! It stirred something in me!
Billie, thank you for sharing this so openly. It means a lot. I felt that deep in my chest...how music and creativity gave voice to what felt unspeakable. And I’m so glad you’ve found tools and healing. That darkness shaped you, but it didn’t define you. Grateful this piece stirred something in you 💛
I love this so much. That you were vulnerable enough to share so much of yourself. That you care enough for others to open your heart and arms to them with words and authentic experience.
As I was reading, my mind was pulling me towards “The Invitation” by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. One line in particular kept coming up: “I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.”
What a beautiful thing to wonder.
The book is a long piece of poetry that asks the hard questions and yearns for the deep connection with another. It shuns the surface where so much is missed in a quick passing by. It invites us to really see another and let ourselves be seen.
And I think that one of your points in your story was that very thing. To feel seen or held or recognized by something or someone.
That is the point of this life. To be a witness for others. To let them know they matter.
Susan, what a deeply thoughtful comment....thank you so much for sharing this. That line from The Invitation gave me chills… “to sit with pain, mine or your own…”—yes, that’s it. That’s the heart of it. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply be there, without trying to fix, just holding space.
Your reflection captured exactly what I was trying to say-that feeling of being understood, even by something as intangible as music, can be life-altering. And I agree being a witness to each other’s pain and joy, and letting ourselves be seen… it might just be the most human thing we do.
Truly grateful for your words. 💛
The longer I am here in this world the more I believe our purpose is exactly that. To be a witness for what others need to release, to set down, to finally say that this heavy and consuming is no longer needed. And you are the blessed one who is there to affirm it and help them set it aside should they ask.
Sometimes we are here just to scream a song at the top of our lungs. Other times it is to cry with them and whisper, “you matter, you are worthy of love, you are so essential to this world.”
And still other times we write our stories for others to read and send them out into the ether with the hope that they will reach the eyes and hearts that need them. As you have done.
We are connected by these threads of fate and common experiences. Hope and love and joy and peace can be the safety net for pain to fall into. And when it does, when it is enveloped by those things, when it feels safe and knows it isn’t being evicted but incorporated and loved as part of the whole…healing begins.
I legit just went to buy that book because I'd never read it before. Thank you
It will change the way you see things. Absolutely life changing. I cried when I read it the first time because of the connection it made to the most essential part of me.
That's beautiful
I am not my pain, what reinforces me from being broken from life's issues is music. It's a way of living and feeling like my own..like me. This article is so personal and good.
Thank you so much Raj, that means a lot. I feel the same way about music. It has a way of giving us back parts of ourselves when life tries to take them away. I’m really touched that this piece resonated with you. You’re right...music isn’t just sound, it’s a way of living, of feeling like you 💛
Jo , this is powerful and beautiful and sacred space. Thank you for opening your heart and sharing your story. I think writing may be a go to for you as well as music. Definitely a gift. A few years ago, I was roaming around on Anna’s playlist and found the song, “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian. Full of angst, I asked her how she found that song. She said she was just randomly searching and loved it. I told her, “ I think you and I would’ve been friends.” ❤️
Pam, oh wow, what a touching memory. Thank you for sharing that. “At Seventeen” is one of those songs that just knows. Full of quiet ache and truth. I love what you told Anna “I think you and I would’ve been friends” there’s something so healing about that kind of recognition across generations, hearts connecting through music and meaning. And yes, I think writing is absolutely becoming a lifeline for me, too. Sending love back your way ❤️
P.S. Just a little note—I’m Salwa, not Jo 😊 But I felt every word you shared, and I’m so grateful for your kindness. ❤️
So beautiful, Salwa. I resonated with much of your story. It made me think of my own horrific teenage years and how I, too, thought the world would be better off without me. How wonderful that those years are far behind us, and we can look back and see the lessons, the reason for hardships. It's all part of the journey. The universe has a warped sense of humour, doesn't it ;)
Superb writing!
Thank you so much for this kind and thoughtful comment Marcia. It means a lot to know that the story resonated with you and I’m really glad we both made it through those dark teenage years. You're so right... the universe *does* have a warped sense of humour sometimes. But here we are, still standing, still growing. Grateful to be walking this journey alongside others who truly get it. ❤️
Well said, dear Salwa. I couldn’t agree more 🤍
Thank you Salwa for a beautiful share. As a teenager, listening to music was my portal to an imagined life in which I was beautiful, free, and joyful. I was lonely, and very introverted but when I was curled up on the sofa, listening to the radio, in the dark, I was a dancing queen. 💫💛🙏
Susan, this is so beautifully said thank you for sharing that. I could picture it so clearly: the dark room, the music, and you becoming that dancing queen. Music really does give us a way to feel seen, even when no one else is looking. I’m so glad it gave you that portal to joy and freedom. 💛
This resonated strongly with me just like other commenters. I also battled ideation but never got to the point of an attempt. Music would help me manage at times too, although the mood, style and sound of the music varied based on the day.
As I read your piece, I tried to reflect on why this was, and then something you wrote seemed to give me an answer. You mentioned that when we're at our darkest we're not looking to be fixed, we just want someone to sit with and hear us. Certain songs put to words exactly what you're feeling. You feel heard by a singer you've never met, strumming your pain with their fingers and singing your life with their words. Thanks for a beautifully written and heartfelt piece.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful and heartfelt reflection Claude. I really felt every word you wrote. It’s powerful how music can meet us exactly where we are...no fixing, no pressure, just understanding. That feeling of being heard, even by a voice you’ve never met, can be life-saving. I’m deeply touched this piece resonated with you. Thank you for sharing a piece of your story with me. 💛
I saw evanescence in concert a few years ago and I had tears flowing . Her songs helped me feel so understood , and got me through my dark undiagnosed depression in high school.
Thanks for this relateable piece !
That must have been such an emotional experience..just reading that gave me goosebumps. I completely relate. Evanescence was like a lifeline for me too during my darkest moments. There’s something about Amy Lee’s voice that feels like it reaches straight into your soul. I’m so glad this piece spoke to you. Thank you for sharing this with me. 💜
Yes! Speaks to my soul too. Did you have a favorite ? Or some songs you connected with ?
I listened to those bands as a teen too. Evanescence and Three Days Grace helped me through some tough times
Same here Sam. There was something about their lyrics....raw, real, and unfiltered that made me feel less alone in the chaos. It’s powerful how music can hold us like that, especially when words from people couldn’t. I’m really glad they were there for you too. 🖤
What a moving piece, Salwa! Thank you for sharing your vulnerability and for teaching us the hard lessons through your gorgeous words. Music is truly one of the most powerful things on the planet, and the fact that it allowed us to receive your stunning words is the icing on the cake! ❤️
Thank you so much Lisa, that means a lot to me. Music really does have a way of unlocking truths we don’t always know how to say, and I’m so grateful it helped me find the words to tell this story. Sending love your way ❤️
Thank you, Salwa! Sending love back! 🤗❤️
Aw, Salwa, thanks for being vulnerable. You're a strong and insightful person. 🌻I identify with so much of you said - both the life-long struggles with anxiety and depression and the love of music. In fact, I cannot imagine my life without music - it's the mainstay that soothes, inspires, brings joy, excitement, and creativity. 🎶
My dear Lisa, thank you so much for this kind message 🌻 I feel the same...music has always been my anchor through the highs and lows. It’s comforting to know others feel that deep connection too. Grateful we can share that love here. 🎶❤️
Linkin park, the corrs, evanescence, they also helped me cope with life years ago when my life was dark and I felt eternally lost. I also drank heavily back then inorder to feel like I belonged. Later, I began to appreciate a life of sobriety and light seeped into my life. I realised that I had some choice and choices in my life situation, and that I could change things one choice at a time.
Thank you so much for sharing this...your journey is powerful. It’s incredible how music can be a lifeline in the darkest moments, like someone holding your hand when no one else could reach you. I’m so glad you found your way to the light, one choice at a time. That kind of shift is nothing short of courageous. ❤️
I love you beautiful Salwa!! ❤️❤️
Ohh! this made me smile so big Rea...love you right back!! ❤️❤️ Thank you for being here 🥹
Linkin Park and Evanesance provide me peace when I have the darkness overcome me as an adult. During my own teenage years, they were just jams. As an adult, I listen to the music for what it is and it does help heal. Thanks for sharing.
Aurelia, thank you so much for sharing that...it's amazing how music can take on a whole new meaning as we grow. What once felt like just a vibe becomes a lifeline. I feel that deeply. Sending love your way 💛
Music was also my solace when I was a suicidal and depressed teenager. Portishead, Dream Theater and all sorts of genres. They provided me some sort of release. I also realise the things I designed and created were beautiful but super dark. I'm no longer in that space only because I found tools to manage my emotions, my triggers and lotsa therapy. A great post! It stirred something in me!
Billie, thank you for sharing this so openly. It means a lot. I felt that deep in my chest...how music and creativity gave voice to what felt unspeakable. And I’m so glad you’ve found tools and healing. That darkness shaped you, but it didn’t define you. Grateful this piece stirred something in you 💛
Thank you Salwa.❤️
Salwa! So sorry for the error but the sentiment is real! 🫶🏼