May is here, so we launch a new monthly theme of acceptance and maturity. And there is no better place to start than Paul’s anthem to acceptance, "Let It Be". Today we will look at the deeply personal story behind the song. Paul wrote this after dreaming of his mother Mary, who had died of cancer when he was just fourteen years old. In the dream, she comforted him during the turmoil of the Beatles' breakup, and he woke up with that image in his mind. He turned his private moment of comfort into a universal gift for everyone.
As a message of peace and comfort, the song is meaningful, but when we look at the context of Paul’s late mother, it is especially poignant. Paul was in the middle of one of the most stressful periods of his life when this song arrived. The band was unraveling, relationships were fracturing, and the future was uncertain. And yet, in that storm, his subconscious led him back to his mother's voice.
Rather than rejecting the ethereal message of comfort, Paul embraced it and created this iconic anthem that has comforted millions. Paul's willingness to receive that comfort and transform it into music is a reminder that some of life's most important lessons are divinely inspired.
Yielding to that voice of comfort, rather than fighting it, is its own form of courage. Paul’s bold message is radical for a successful rock star: you can’t control everything; sometimes you have to ‘let it be”. Those truly are words of wisdom.
Today, I will stay open to my inner voice, trusting that comfort and clarity will find me when I am ready to receive them.
Where in your life have you been so busy fighting the storm that you missed the quiet wisdom trying to reach you? What unexpected source of comfort might be waiting for you to notice it?
