‘live inside all that love’
Earlier this week, I was one of many people moving through a crosswalk on the University of Kentucky’s campus when I passed a few college-aged girls who were singing aloud together.
“I think they’re singing ‘Man I Need’ by Olivia Dean,” I said to my friend and colleague Kris, who was walking with me to a video shoot.
A few steps later, I could hear the music coming out of a stopped car’s rolled-down windows: “Man I Need.”
“The girls heard it from the car and started singing it!” I said. “That is delightful!”
It had been a challenging day — a challenging couple of weeks, really — and I wasn’t exaggerating when I told Kris that improved my mood exponentially. I needed those exclamation points.
My husband Loui and I have a name for those moments: “deep, deep love.” It comes from the song “Deep Love” by Lady Lamb, which I first heard because Loui recommended it for one of my specific playlists (which I plan to write about another time) before we started dating.
The verses share a few tender scenes, like seeing a photo of your mother as a teenager and watching a neighbor with his dogs. Here is the bridge and ending:
Passing by a pure scene in somebody else’s life gives my life meaning
Passing though a good scene in somebody else’s life fills my cup, it fills my cup
It ignites that fire
To pour out my love
Give all my love
My deep, deep love
Give all my love
Give all your love, all your love
Give all your love, all your love
Your love, your love, your love, your love, your love
Loui and I considered this song for our first dance but decided it would be too difficult to dance to, but it’s still special to us.
This week, after noticing the “deep, deep love” moment of several strangers enjoying the same song on the same street, I kept an eye out for more moments in an effort to focus on the lovely rather than the difficult. I noted a few.
On my way home from that shoot, I checked the mail and found a letter from my friend Shayla. The envelope was one of many things in my hands as I walked up to the apartment, but suddenly I remembered the gift I had recently given to Shayla (and our other letter-writing friends) and flipped it over. On the back was a letter seal, a heart with an adorable pink floral design — a gift from me to Shayla on a letter from Shayla to me.
Yesterday, for the third year, Loui and I visited the Kentucky Crafted Market, which features dozens of talented Kentucky artists. This year, our friends and wedding singers Jeri Katherine Howell and Nat Colten, along with violinist Ellie Ruth, were performing a set on the music stage. I sat in the audience (Loui was across the arena floor buying nachos for lunch) and listened to soundcheck. As a test, Jeri played a few cords that I thought I recognized as my favorite song of theirs. Sure enough, the first song of their set was the wonderful “Healers & Drinkers." Later in the set, after a delightful song about Jeri’s jealousy of (and love for) Nat’s cattle, I looked over to find Loui with tears in his eyes. “Write a song about an animal — I cry,” he said.
Last night, Loui hadn’t yet finished his dinner — he still needed to eat his green beans — when I said we should have the fresh strawberries in the fridge for dessert. He jumped up, put his plate in the sink, and started cutting up strawberries. I was a bit exasperated (I didn’t mean for him to interrupt what he was currently doing), but it accurately represents the way Loui loves.
I’m grateful for these hearts and melodies and strawberries. Pay attention to the “deep, deep love” moments around you. Share one with me if you want — I’d love to pass through your good scene.