Kyrie Eleison

Did you know that you can text someone a Spotify playlist? I didn't, and I feel like a big goof for texting my siblings to have them find me on Spotify and then look for a certain playlist to download. Now I can just send it!

This discovery came courtesy of a swim friend from my Masters team. He sent out an 80's playlist and I listened to it during my long walk today. The sun shone on the last of the snow and the creeks were full of the snowmelt, chickadees and hatches chirped like crazy, except when one of our local hawks flew overhead. In my south suburban snowglobe it's a paradisiacal day, one where the only signs of strangeness are the number of people on the trails on a random Tuesday morning and the way those people carefully avoid one another by providing six feet of space upon passing.

As I walked west toward the snow-capped Rockies, one of my old favorites came through my headphones. I was 14 years old when "Kyrie Eleison" was released and, like many songs that first hit us during our teen years, it brought back vivid memories. Driving to swim meets, hanging out with friends, long afternoons holed up in my room, these memories flashed through my consciousness. Then the meaning of the words came through on the song's persistent chorus:

"Kyrie Eleison, down the road that I must travel
Kyrie Eleison, through the darkness of the night
Kyrie Eleison, where I'm going, will you follow?
Kyrie Eleison, on a highway in the light."
- From "Kyrie Eleison" by Mister, Mister

Kyrie Eleison means "Lord, have mercy." I grew up using this phrase every Sunday during Catholic mass. The words are appropriate now for all of us, for our country and for the world. Lord, please have mercy on us down this road that we are traveling, this highway that seems dark and not light.

Of course, I cried again (only my second time today, though) before switching over to different thoughts and a bubble-gum pop tune from the same era. But if you want to check Spotify for Mister, Mister's song, it's a good one for now. I can even text it to you.

Stay well and safe,
xoxo
Laura