I have heard Bette Midler’s song “The Rose” numerous times when I was alone or in a group setting.  Recently, I listened to “The Rose” and heard the words differently.  The lyrics speak of love in comparison with a river and drowning, a razor and bleeding and hunger as an endless aching need.

I do not know why the song stood out to me in this way at this time.  In hindsight, perhaps I was going through a sad moment; we all have those sometimes.

Upon reading the lyrics, specifically the words, “It’s the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance.” jumped out for me.  I thought of the many times I have not wanted to be vulnerable to love, in any aspect, because when it ends it hurts!  Does anyone want to feel this hurt?

How many times have you been afraid of your heart breaking and never taken a chance?  If you have clients, how often has this been a part of their lives?

Another section of the song reads as follows, “…And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.”  To me this speaks of choices.  The choices to stay stuck or take a chance and live life, experience every moment with anticipation and live in the moment.

This can be a scary place to be when grief has been a part of your situation.  Fear can be debilitating and when accompanied with other aspects of grief and loss, it makes for a heavy load to carry.

“…When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long…” brings to mind someone, who is tired of sadness and feels unworthy of a better life.  I have been there and know others who will say the same.  Life is not all happy, joyous and full of all the good stuff, nor is it all sadness and downcast.

The best part to remember as stated in the song, “…Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows, lies the seed that with the sun’s love, in the spring becomes the rose.”  Hope, possibilities, joy, new beginnings, and a new way of looking at the situation are inspired by “The Rose”.

Perhaps you will listen to this song differently as I did.  Share this with others and perhaps they too will “become the ROSE”.

All my best

Barbara  Saunders

The lyrics were retrieved from https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/8420/

The Rose

Some say love, it is a river, that drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower, and you, its only seed

It’s the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken, who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying, that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed, that with the sun’s love in the spring becomes the rose