Pearls on a Chain

In preparing for my upcoming Mental Health Benefit concert I was quickly reminded of how many fantastic songs there are to perform.  Attempting to sing through the melodies, read through the lyrics, and thinking of which songs would compliment each other became quite the task.  I was struck, however, by the words of one song in particular that I've listened to and sang on numerous occasions.  A song that speaks to the interconnection we all share in spirit and soul in our journey through life.

As I began seriously considering this piece for the program it became more real the impact of this song in my own life.  As a mental health professional, family member and friend of those whom have walked the path of mental dissonance in their lives, I became even more enlightened to the power of the lyrics of this melody. For those of us who have experience life we know that no one is immune to the challenges, struggles, obstacles, and hardships faced by those with mental health issues. Depression has no boundaries, anxiety takes no mercy, dementia is no ally, and thought disturbance shows no flattery.  These conditions effect the young .. the old .. the rich .. the poor .. the father .. the mother .. the brother .. the sister .. the aunt .. the uncle .. the son .. the daughter .. the grandson .. the granddaughter .. the cousin .. the friend .. the colleague .. the American .. the European ..  the Australian .. the Asian .. the African .. and list continues ...

We are all affected either individually or collectively by the sometimes tumultuous journey that is known as mental illness.  If we think of ourselves as alone in this journey, we quickly become overwhelmed, isolated, and eventually despondent to the idea that life could get better.  However, if we band together and take a stance and unite in the fight to thrive even in spite of our struggles, we not only become stronger but more beautiful in our ability to grow into an object of priceless and rare beauty.

Take for instance the pearl.  How does an irritant become an object of rare beauty?  It's a process.  Pearls are created inside a living organism, typically an oyster (although other mollusks such as clam and mussels may produce pearls).  The formation occurs when a foreign substance enters the oyster as an irritant.  This intrusion starts a process in which the oyster forms a layer around the irritant in order to protect itself from further damage.  These layers will eventually form a Pearl, a beautiful object each unique in it's beginnings and final formation.

Our lives are filled with irritants that penetrate the barriers of our souls, our "living organism".  Each burrows itself into the inner-most parts of our being, lay there, and cause a systemic reaction to unfold.  It is, however, with the help of our friends, family, colleagues, and by our own measures that we are able to form a layer of protection around these life events molding them into a series of transactions that shape our existence.  Through this journey, we like the Pearl, become an object of beauty and representation of the human ability to become more beautifully molded by a process.  We become a Pearl through our own right.

You see, we are all like Pearls on a Chain in our connection through these life circumstances.  Where one Pearl is beautiful a chain of Pearls is a symbol of strength and perseverance of the elegance we gain from experiencing life to it's fullest.  We are all Pearls on a Chain.

That's a wrap!