Outside Reading #8

Stories can serve to facilitate the understanding of loss. The song "If I Could" by Jack Johnson does just this by telling a story of loss that Jack Johnson experienced. He sings, "I heard some words/from a friend on the phone/that didn't sound so good/the doctor gave him two weeks to live/I'd give him more if I could." Jack lays out the abruptness with which loss can come. Jack continues in the song to develop a positive message about the circle of life. He sings, "New life makes losing life easier to understand/words are kind/they help ease the mind/I'll miss my old friend/and though you gotta go/we'll keep a piece of your soul/one goes out/one comes in." In this part of the song, Jack suggests that although people die, their "soul" stays and their influence in other people's lives remains. Stories such as that of the song, "If I Could," can help in the dealing with loss.