My grandpa's death in 1992 was the first loss in my life that felt like it came too soon.
After he died, I struggled⏤I couldn't think of him without crying⏤until a few months later, when I thought of him and felt gratitude for the significance he'd held in my life, instead of the agony of his departure.
I wrote this one line on a napkin that I'd found in my glove box:
"The sad becomes a smile
And I find that all the while
I've been learning to let you go..."
I wasn't sure what to do with what I'd written, but I was pretty sure it could be a good line to a country music song, so I put the napkin back in my glove box and kept it.
The napkin showed up when I needed a reminder to seek gratitude over sadness. I felt strengthened by what I'd written, and it was the beginning of my healing after losing this necessary man in my life.
When my husband Wesley died in 2004, 12 years after my grandpa, the message I'd written to myself somehow gave me hope again.
I knew it would take longer and be more intermittent, but there could come a time when I would one day think of Wesley and feel more gratitude for the gift of having shared my life and our son with him than the enormity of the pain his early departure had caused us.
It took me 28 years, but that one line I'd written on a fast food napkin and have kept all these years has finally made it to that country music song I'd contemplated decades ago.
It's been a joy to share the song, This Beautiful Life, with everyone. It comes from the deepest place of gratitude I've ever ventured.
I'm grateful to David Santos⏤my co-writer and a long-time, talented musician in Nashville⏤for believing in the one line I'd written on a napkin in 1992 and giving this first-time songwriter an opportunity.
It's my best effort at telling my family's story, letting Wesley know I am happy and at peace; somehow conveying in 3 minutes, 38 seconds the joy of raising our son; and reminding everyone who hears it that we can all build a beautiful life⏤no matter the obstacles.
⏤LISA BRADSHAW, The DON'T WAIT Project® Founder
.png/:/rs=w:400,cg:true,m)
This Beautiful Life ©2020 Lisa Bradshaw and David Santos
He has your smile and brilliant mind
Your stubbornness, and yes, he’s kind
A lot like you, but more like me
I knew you’d matter from the start
Saved you a place deep in my heart
Some things are just meant to be
(Chorus)
The deepest wounds, they never heal
But we move on, cause that's the deal
Come what may
Your son, your wife
I know you know
We've carved it out… this beautiful life
We lost the fight, God knows we tried
You said, be strong, you’ll be all right
Just raise our son, you’ll find your way
The years go by, I tell you this
Grief still shows up, in what you’ve missed
But I’ve kept my promise, everyday.
(Chorus)
The deepest wounds, they never heal
But we move on, cause that's the deal
Come what may
Your son, your wife
I know you know
We've carved it out… this beautiful life
The sad becomes a smile
And I find that all the while
I’ve been learning to let you go
Been raising up our little one
Our little one's now 21
And somehow I know you know
We’ve been carving out this life without you.
(Chorus)
The deepest wounds, they never heal
But we move on, cause that's the deal
Come what may
Your son, your wife
I know you know
We’ve carved it out
(Chorus)
The deepest wounds, they never heal
But we move on, cause that's the deal
Come what may
Your son, your wife
I know you know
We’ve carved it out
Gone so long
I found my strong
Figured out
Where we belong
In this beautiful life
SONG CREDITS
Written by Lisa Bradshaw and David Santos
Produced by David Santos
Mixed and mastered by Peter Young
David Santos: bass guitar (Billy Joel, Elton John, Dan Fogerty)
Peter Young: drums and percussion (Loretta Lynn)
Denny Hemingson: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar (Tim McGraw)
Jimmy Nichols: acoustic piano, electric piano (Faith Hill)
Aly Cutter: vocals
David Santos, the co-writer of This Beautiful Life, has toured with some of the greats, like Elton John, Billy Joel and John Fogerty; and he's recorded with some of the most talented artists of our time, including my all-time favorite, Bob Seger.
David wrote and produced the music for This Beautiful Life; I wrote the melody and lyrics; and he called in some favors to his musician friends, including producer Peter Young; Denny Hemingson (steel guitar player with Tim McGraw); and Jimmy Nichols (Faith Hill's music director). Almost everyday, David called me with a new development during production, and every time, the growing assembly of talent blew my mind.
The incredible voice behind my family's story is Aly Cutter. When David and I chose her for the vocals, we didn't know her own story until she sent a video thanking us for including her in the song. She lost her parents at a young age and deeply connected with the lyrics.
This song was produced one layer at a time through text messages and voice message recordings and because everyone involved in Nashville was home instead of on tour, lending their talents to our efforts and a good cause.
PARTNERING WITH DONATE LIFE AMERICA
Like all things⏤there is always a cause and an effect.
The cause we've partnered with is Donate Life America. The effect, we hope, is bringing awareness to organ, eye and tissue donation registry through the song, This Beautiful Life, and honoring everyone who has ever received or helped save a life through the generous gift of organ donation, including the family who donated to Wesley 16 years ago.
THE SONG⏤A FUNDRAISER
By downloading This Beautiful Life, you support our efforts to increase donation awareness and you contribute to the storytelling of the gift of donation.
BECOME A REGISTERED DONOR
Approximately 60% of the adult population are registered donors, we want to help bridge the gap by sharing. The heart on your driver's license does register you with your local DMV, and that is an effective method of registering, but also registering with Donate Life America insures that your registration does not expire if your driver's license expires and your registration is not affected if move to a different state.
To become a registered donor, follow one simple step at the following link: www.registerme.org/campaign/dontwaitproject.
TRANSPLANT STATISTICS
Every 10 minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list.
95% of Americans are in favor of organ donation but only 60% are registered. Help bridge the gap.
Approximately 110,000 people
are waiting for a lifesaving transplant.
On average, 22 people die every day
from the lack of available organs for transplant.
One organ, eye and tissue donor can
save and heal more than 75 lives.
750,000 organ donation transplants have taken place since 1988.