My favorite line pretty much sums up why I love the song:
I think that last word is technically "home", but let's just roll with the hope theme.
I've been thinking lately about authenticity. Interestingly enough, it was the topic of a Bible study just last week when it was on my mind. I pondered what it meant to me for me to live from an authentic head-space the majority of the time. And, I discovered that oftentimes that means taking a nuanced approach to circumstances and decisions that might not seem like the logical choice to outsiders looking in.
Authenticity made me think about being open-hearted. I quickly Googled an official definition for this, and thefreedictionary.com describes openheartedness as 'showing or being motivated by sympathy and understanding and being freely communicative'. I love this definition. It reminds me that when we do approach seemingly difficult decisions in our lives, we should lead first with a heart of understanding for those involved and for ourselves.
Which brings me to the song lyrics. We literally need one another to make it through. I can't tell you how much just in the last couple of days I've texted my best friends for advice and encouragement and daily ridiculousness. We really don't have to go it alone.
Similarly, I like the idea that hope is something critical, an essential component to getting along in this life. With openheartedness, the hope is that we can be true to ourselves and others in a liberating way.
I like to think that the legacy of MLK and others like him reinforce this concept of openheartedness. Striving first to come from a space of sympathy and understanding before discrimination. So, in the spirit of his legacy on this day, and in the spirit of openheartedness, I encourage you all to liberally be your truest self in this life! Stay golden, my friends.
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