On Tuesday night April 7, during a fitful sleep, my mind played The Grateful Dead’s tune, “Ripple.” That probably wasn’t as random as it might sound. I had recently heard the song on the radio and ever since then, I have been whistling as much of the tune as I recall. The Grateful Dead was part of the sound track of my youth. While I was mostly off on another tangent–with my  Motown, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and others–somewhere inside, my mind and body heard the music. What I hadn’t paid attention to before were the words. Now that I’ve read the lyrics, I have been thinking about them:

If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music?
Would you hold it near as it were your own?

It’s a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they’re better left unsung
I don’t know, don’t really care
Let there be songs to fill the air

Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow

Reach out your hand, if your cup be empty
If your cup is full, may it be again
Let it be known, there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men

There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go, no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone

Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow

You who choose to lead, must follow
But if you fall, you fall alone
If you should stand, then who’s to guide you?
If I knew the way, I would take you home

Songwriters: Robert Hunter / Jerry Garcia (1970)

I can’t (or at least, I won’t) parse all the lyrics, but some of the lines hit the same nostalgic bullseye for me as the tune does. In my mind, I see the gold of sunshine, I see so many ripples on water, and I have been on many roads that were not simple highways. I am closer to the dark of night than those sunny dawns.

In this challenging time–with so many people struggling so bravely–I want to say to those I love, “If you should stand, then who’s to guide you? If I knew the way, I would take you home.”

Scenic Lake, Michigan 2012