My Husband Cried Today, and It Was Beautiful to Behold
All thanks to Joni Mitchell’s surprise set at the Newport Folk Festival
Also, thanks to a newsletter I received late last night from Ramona Grigg spreading the joyful news of Joni performing live for the first time in twenty years.
As soon as I’d helped hubby through his waking routine this morning (he suffered a mild stroke in January and is always a little groggy first thing) and he was up and dressed, I searched the internet to find the videos Ramona had mentioned.
When I was ready to play them, I broke the news to my hubby of Joni’s appearance at the festival on 24 July. He approached my desk with his walker and settled down to watch with me.
We began with The Circle Game.
As 78-year-old Joni sang, sitting and tapping the arms of her chair, surrounded by people ready to step in if she faltered, a lump formed in my throat.
Her now frail voice echoed across the decades.
As the song finished, I told hubby about Joni’s brain aneurysm in 2015, which had left her with mobility problems and unable to sing or play guitar. She regained her abilities through sheer grit and practiced the guitar by watching videos showing where to position her fingers on the fret board.
I shared the story of her recovery with hubby, as he often worries about his mental faculties and doubts his ability to rewire his brain — although he succeeded back in 1975 after a car accident, where he taught himself to speak again.
He found Joni’s determination to recover her brain’s power inspiring — I recognized that in the way his face and eyes lit up! I told him it shows what’s possible when your heart and soul are the driving force. I encourage him daily not to give up.
Next, we watched Both Sides Now.
I started sobbing, remembering the deep emotional impact of the song and lyrics on me when I first heard it in 1969 — it continues to resonate 53 years later.
Next minute, hubby was sobbing with me.
An emotional catharsis.
I cannot explain the duality of encountering emotions of joy and sorrow together, yet I read his weeping as a salve on the wounds of stress and anguish he’s been going through since his stroke.
How beautiful to behold a man crying!
How wondrous the power of music to heal and inspire.
Thank you Joni Mitchell for the gift you gave us today.
I leave you with a laid-back Summertime and thank you for allowing me to share with miracle with you.
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