Hopeful Songs for a Dismal Day

Good morning, WLBOTT World. Here’s a little something hopeful:

Imagine a seedling breaking through the dark soil, reaching toward the sun. Though the sky is clouded over and rain falls steadily, the seedling grows stronger with every drop. It may seem small now, but that rain, those gray skies—they’re just part of its journey to becoming something magnificent.

Even when the day feels heavy, know that you're in the midst of growth. The rain will pass, the clouds will clear, and you'll stand taller, more vibrant, and rooted in resilience. Each challenge brings you closer to that flourishing moment.

Take heart. The sun is always behind the clouds.
- Elder G

Gracias a la Vida

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro
Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco
Y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado
Y en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado el oído que en todo su ancho
Graba noche y días
Grillos y canarios, martillos, turbinas
Ladridos, chubascos
Y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario
Con el las palabras que pienso y declaro
Madre, amigo, hermano y luz alumbrando
La ruta del alma del que estoy amando

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados
Con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos
Playas y desiertos, montañas y llanos
Y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me dio el corazón que agita su marco
Cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano
Cuando miro el bueno tan lejos del malo
Cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto
Así yo distingo dicha de quebranto
Los dos materiales que forman mi canto

Y el canto de ustedes que es el mismo canto
Y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
It gave me two stars that when I open them
I perfectly distinguish black from white
And in the high sky its starry background
And in the crowds the man I love

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
It has given me the ear that in all its width
Record night and days
Crickets and canaries, hammers, turbines
Barking, showers
And the tender voice of my beloved

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
It has given me the sound and the alphabet
With him the words that I think and declare
Mother, friend, brother and light shining
The route of the soul of the one I am loving

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
It has given me the march of my tired feet
With them I walked cities and puddles
Beaches and deserts, mountains and plains
And your house, your street and your patio

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
It gave me the heart that shakes his frame
When I look at the fruit of the human brain
When I look at the good so far from the bad
When I look at the bottom of your clear eyes

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
It has made me laugh and it has made me cry
This is how I distinguish happiness from brokenness
The two materials that make up my song
And your song is the same song

And everyone’s song that is my own song
Thanks to life

Ode to Joy

Simple Gifts

Vivaldi’s Spring

The Rose by Bette Midler

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed

It's the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose

“The Rose” by Bette Midler is a song filled with deep emotion, but also with a profound sense of hope and resilience. The lyrics speak of love’s ability to bloom even in the hardest conditions, much like a rose growing through the cracks. The metaphor of the rose as a symbol of enduring love and beauty, despite challenges, mirrors a sense of hope that can flourish even in difficult times. It’s a perfect addition to the list of hopeful songs.

Climb Every Mountain

A beautiful song, full of inspiration and determination! “Climb Every Mountain” certainly has a powerful message about overcoming obstacles and pursuing dreams, which ties into the idea of hope. It’s interesting that Sister Gregory Duffy, a Dominican nun, contributed to it—her connection likely brought a deeper spiritual element to the song.

When Maria returns to the Abbey, confused by her feelings for Captain von Trapp, the Mother Abbess assures her that loving another person can be part of what God wants us to do. “You must find the life you were born to live,” she says before singing this inspirational anthem. By the end of the song, Maria understands and removes her wimple, indicating that she will return to the Captain.

“Climb Ev’ry Mountain” is a great example of the influence Sister Gregory, a Dominican theater-loving nun from Illinois who was friendly with star Mary Martin, had on Rodgers & Hammerstein during the creation of The Sound of Music. In February 1958, Sister Gregory wrote to the creative team, “The whole purpose of life, it seems to me, is pinpointed in Maria’s struggle to choose between my two vocations… ‘What does God want me to do with my life? How does he wish me to spend my love?’” Some lines from Sister Gregory’s letters eventually made their way into the musical’s book, verbatim.
RodgersAndHammerstein.com

Climb Ev’ry Mountain
Lyrics By Oscar Hammerstein II / Music By Richard Rodgers

Climb ev’ry mountain,
Search high and low,
Follow ev’ry byway,
Every path you know.

Climb ev’ry mountain,
Ford ev’ry stream,
Follow ev’ry rainbow
Till you find your dream.

A dream that will need all the love you can give
Ev’ry day of your life for as long as you live.

Climb ev’ry mountain,
Ford ev’ry stream,
Follow ev’ry rainbow
Till you find your dream.

Get Down (from Six the Musical)

Six is a British musical comedy in the style of a pop concert. Its music, book, and lyrics were written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. It is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, presented in the form of a singing competition. In the show, the wives (Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr) take turns telling their story to determine who suffered the most from their shared husband, but ultimately seek to reclaim their individual identities and rewrite their stories.
Wikipedia