Two weeks ago, I was intrigued by the beautiful story that my friend Sarah’s soon to be husband told a couple of us the day before they stood together and said their vows in a quaint church in Gothenburg, Sweden. He shared how he first heard Ben E. King’s song and the significance of its words in their relationship.
I really understood the full impact of its importance when a trio sang the song in church and also at the reception.
Stand by Me are three simple, but powerful words that may have a unique meaning and memory for each one of us.
When did you last feel you needed someone to stand by you? Did it happen? Were you fulfilled or disappointed? When were you the one who needed to stand by someone else and how did it make you feel?
In these days of loneliness and a heightened sense of aloneness, we want to know who we can depend on for the long haul. Who can we call no matter what the topic or struggle? And, equally important, if you were called, who would you be for that person?
Weddings, birthdays, funerals, births, divorce and other less dramatic life events are times we want to know who we can depend on to be with us to celebrate, to cry, to stand by me.
Today, be that one.
Thank you, Sarah, I was honored and privileged to stand by you too!
