What Soothes Your Soul?

A really good friend of mine called me because she had come to the end of a surprisingly dreadful day and she needed to talk. Butter Bean, as she is affectionately called by some of her friends, was more upset than I had ever known her to be. She was not the type to be rattled easily, so I listened intently to her recount of the day's events leading up to her despair.

The next day, I called her just to check on her mood. I was hoping that a good night's rest had lulled her back into the calm place I was so used to finding her. As soon as she answered the phone, I knew that I had hoped in vain. This time, I decided that I would be the force that would lift the burdens that had recently attached themselves to her shoulders. So, after listening to her for about fifteen minutes, I began making silly jokes. She didn't laugh. I allowed her to talk and pout and sigh. In the spaces between the talking, pouting, and sighing, I threw in a downright stupid comment and a nervous giggle. I had every right to be nervous because she still didn't laugh. The Butter Bean I knew had been chased into a hole and she wasn't coming out.

By day three, I was not looking forward to calling her because I just did not know what to say. Sometimes just listening works but I instinctively knew that this was not one of those times. No way! Butter Bean needed a jolt to shock her back into her usual jovial self. Undaunted by the fact that I had no clue as to what would accomplish that, I dialed her number. As the phone started ringing, a silly little ditty suddenly formed in my mind. When she answered, I broke into song.

Butter Bean, Butter Bean! Why do you have to be so mean?
Butter Bean, Butter Bean! Why do you have to be so mean?
You know that man was just looking out...
But you had to scream and shout.
Butter Bean, Butter Bbean! Don't cha be so mean!
Whoa, Butter Bean! Don't be so mean!


She was really quiet the whole minute that it took me to get that out so I thought that I had failed again. But as my voice trailed off, I heard a familiar sound. It was a chuckle. I had done it! Butter Bean was laughing! She said, "You'd better write that one down." We shared a few more laughs that evening. She reminded me to write the silly ditty down one more time before we hung up. Butter Bean knew that if I didn't, I'd forget it. I still forgot, but the lines above are what I can remember.

It really didn't matter what I sang. The point is that music was the one thing that soothed her soul. I should have known that since it has always been the thing to make me feel better no matter what had put me in a foul mood. The genre doesn't matter and I could care less who's singing it as long as I like it. Let me make it clear that I am a terminally devoted Patti LaBelle fan but I listen to a wide variety of others. So far, no one has come up with a song that I like to blast when I'm in a bad mood better than "Victory" by Yolanda Adams. After all, one can't go wrong when you have "the victory in Jesus."

What soothes your soul when life has unexpectedly dealt you a difficult hand to play? Maybe it's a day at a spa, a long walk, getting lost in a good book, a long soak in a hot tub with a glass of wine or a drive along a scenic route. Whatever it is, as long as it works for you without adding to your problems and it is not detrimental to your health, indulge yourself! I'm pretty sure that it will always be music that does it for me.

Be blessed!