When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be Whisper words of wisdom, let it be And when the broken-hearted people living in the world agree There will be an answer, let it be For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see There will be an answer, let it be By John Lennon and Paul McCartney

When I was about 14 years old, my cousin came back from the Vietnam war. He was a bit bedraggled from the intensity of the war. His mom had passed while he was away. He missed her dearly. We lived in the city and he lived two houses away. He would come to our house and sit at our kitchen table talking to my Mom for hours. She was a good listener, perceptive, empathetic and would help him sort through his problems. They developed a special relationship. The Beatles at that time had released the album “Let it Be” . My Mom loved the title song. It soothed her and she would sing it all the time. Sometimes there is a connection made by what was happening in our lives when a particular song was released, and popular. Years later my Mom had hip surgery and suffered a small stroke. She was placed in a nursing home for rehabilitation. We wanted to make her feel comfortable there. I remember bringing her a CD player and the “Let it Be” CD. It comforted her in a bad time in her life. Decisions based on her abilities would be determined. My Mom was one of the strongest women that I ever encountered. She did eventually go back home where she stayed for a number of years. Near the end she was placed in a nursing home due to dementia and her inability to care for herself. My sister and I played her songs to calm her. “Let it Be” was one of those songs.

My Mom was a crossing guard with a heart of gold. I remember her knitting mittens for kids from poor families who were not prepared for cold blustery winters. I also remember her going through our shoes and boots to give away to these same children. Not only was she kind she also immensely tough. She took on injustices at every level. She took on the nuns and priests in our catholic school. Times were tough in our home. My Dad was an ironworker which is a seasonal job. She always planned ahead financially to get our family through tough times, and long winters. Resources were limited but through ingenuity, steadfastness, and sheer determination she kept our family afloat. My parents really never gave any of their 4 children a choice. We were going to college, and we would be in a more financially sound position than them. They made this happen.

Music can uplift our spirits during bad times. It can bring you back to the most wonderful times, or get you through the rough stuff. This song in particular holds warm and loving reminders of this wonderful woman.