“If I Didn’t Have You In my World”
Vince Gill

“If I didn’t have you in my world, what a lonely place my world would be.”

My grandmother was a spunky woman who always seemed to be in the know. She was consistently up on current events in the local, national, and international news and oftentimes compared them to the happenings of yesteryear. Even better was the history lesson I received every time I visited her, because stepping into her home was like taking a time machine through the 1900s. Collections of items from every decade of that century lined the walls of her house. Needless to say, my gram was extremely memorable and full of memories.

She used to tell me all about my relatives and who was connected to whom. Eventually I would lose track of names, look at her, and just smile and nod. My mom always wanted to take a mother-daughter trip to Sweden, where our family is from, so the two of them could not only learn more about this family history she shared with us, but also to spend some quality time together. Sadly, my gram passed away too soon for the trip to take place.

Losing someone is painful, regardless of whether the parting is planned or unexpected. As people come and go in our lives, there are some who find a special place in our hearts, a place where the thought of losing them is too hard to bear, too painful to even consider as an option, because they are so important to us.

I chose the song “If I Didn’t Have You In My World” by Vince Gill as my song of the week, because he captures this message perfectly. His words are simple and straightforward, expressing how much a person can mean to another human being, proving that we cannot live, or even survive, in this world alone.

Just over a week ago, I saw Vince Gill perform at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. I was there on vacation with my mom, and this event happened to be a benefit concert for Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee. I found this both ironic and fitting, as it aligned not only with what I do for work, but because it meant so much to me personally. This artist was taking the time to openly discuss mental health and raise awareness about the painful realities that so many millions deal with on a daily basis. He was bringing attention to something I wholeheartedly believe in, and in doing so, my respect for him deepened.

The trip I took with my mom last week meant the world to me, because I felt fortunate enough to have this opportunity with her, a mother-daughter trip just to spend some time together, one that she and her own mother did not. I hope when you listen to this song the words become a reminder to you, as you go into this week, that you are memorable, you matter, and you are loved.

Take advantage of spending time with those that you love, both now and in the future, because while life may be short, it is most definitely worth living.

With Hope,

Nichole
TWLOHA Staff