Make your peace. Make that call

I’D LIKE to tell you about three popular songs.

They have immense meaning to our lives today. The first is one called Words by the phenomenal group The Bee Gees.

It was written after the three brothers Gibb – Barry, Robin and Maurice – had an argument and many nasty words were exchanged.

The brothers explain: “The arguments were about absolutely nothing. They were just words. That is what the song is all about; words can make you happy or words can make you sad.”

It may have been nothing, but as they said later, it taught them not to trade words with each other when they were angry.

You tend to say things you would not if you are in a normal frame of mind. The second song is Everything I Own, written by David Gates and made a hit by his popular band, Bread.

Singer Boy George made a hit of it too, years later.

Listen to these lyrics from the song: “Is there someone you know that won’t let you go, and taking it all for granted? You may lose them one day, someone takes them away, and you don’t hear the words they say.

“And I would give anything I own, I’d give up my life, my heart, my home. I would give anything I own, just to have you back again, just to talk to you words again.”

Contrary to common belief, the above was not written about a failed romance.

Gates wrote about his father, as is evident from the opening lines, and as he explained later in life: “You sheltered me from harm, kept me warm, kept me warm. You gave my life to me.”

Obviously he had some regrets that he needed to mend – as he said he would give everything he owned just for one more time with his father being alive.

And then comes the ever-popular song by velvetvoiced, the late Luther Vandross – Dance with my Father.

Written by Vandross and fellow singer Richard Marx, the song came out when Vandross was hospitalised through a stroke.

It was a poignant time and he recalled how his dad, who died when the singer was 7 years old, used to sing and dance with his mother and him.

Vandross wrote: “If I could steal one final glance, one final step, one final dance with him…”

So what is my point of going down musical Memory Lane?

To sum it up in one word: Regret.

In any family or friendship, there comes a time when we have a misunderstanding, maybe a perceived slight.

Some have been known to not talk to each other for years.

Life is about the most uncertain thing in this world.

That person who you snub or refuse to talk to may be gone tomorrow.

No amount of crying at the coffin of your brother or sister or uncle or friend will bring them back to life so you can reconcile. Even for a few seconds.

So, no matter how much humble pie you have to eat, how low you have to go, make the move now to bury the hatchet and make peace.

Life is too short to perpetuate long-standing arguments.

Life is getting more and more difficult and taxing. We need our friends and kin to support us through these times. Make your peace. Make that call!