2020 has been a year like no other, an unimaginable series of unfortunate events, to say the very least. I purposely remind myself daily to look for the beauty and as I was thinking about this year’s ending chapter while losing myself in some beautiful 70’s vocals, this emotion laden tune lended itself to application.

I thought I heard a small voice crying, looked again and saw that it was me.

The past twelve months have seen more than a handful of tears. When my children were small and sniffling over something inconsequential and unimportant, I’d hug them and admonish them to save those tears for the big stuff. Life is not always fair. Fair is not always equal. Equal is not always fair.

Right or wrong – likely politically wrong to not validate their hurt feelings over their sibling getting the last Oreo crumb or their brother looking out their van window or not being allowed to stay home from school for a mental health day at age six …. these were all things that were small potatoes in life’s scheme.

I’ve never been one to believe everyone deserves a participation trophy nor am I generally a crier. The emotions that hit me deep inside rarely show themselves outside – not necessarily a good quality I’ve discovered.

2020 has felt no need to play by the rules of years past. Crying and frustration and sorrow and confusion are all tear worthy for this most unusual year. Cry if you need to.

Fearing the night, fearing the unseen, is ok.

Then a larger thought said stop your crying
Don’t be scared to search ’cause you may find
Fate holds out a candle for your footsteps
Time rolls back the shadows of your mind

The future is on it’s way, no stopping it. Fate holds the torch as we step through the gates of Tomorrowland. Time does roll back the shadows because we see things more clearly once the faint light of morning shows itself.

It’s a long, long lonely night
You can make the morning if you try
It’s a long, long lonely night
Oh, we can make the morning if we try
Girl, we can make the morning you and I
Together, together, together

Elvis’ plea of the loneliness and despair in the unknown darkness rings true. His conclusion is far more than a romanticized thought. It’s that unification, the coming together potluck meal sharing of huge helpings of comfort, garnished with love and tenderness, that make a proper feast to chase away the dark shadows.

Loneliness is darkness’ first companion
Spend the night alone and faith may bend
Share it all and see how fear starts fading
Chase away the shadows with a friend

Sharing our troubles lightens the load. Division makes the night blacker but cohesiveness and kindness chase away the fear and slowly fades the dark to light. 

There have been other dark periods in our country and our world. Can you recall how people came together, neighbors assisting neighbors? It’s happened before in adversity and it will happen again.

 Dawn’s elusive light is just beginning
Now the day can push away the night
Dreams can make the sun feel much brighter
Hope creates a foothold for the light

Hope is a most perfect four letter combination. If one is a believing person, the conception of hope is an often mentioned beacon. If not, hope’s expectation and desire is still a huge component of our basic human nature. Dreams and hope walk hand in hand along life’s pathway. 

Hand holding always makes a journey easier. Touch is vitally important.

It’s a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
It’s a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
Girl, we can make the morning you and I, Oh
Together

I know in no way could this song have been orchestrated for times like these and perhaps it is a long imaginative stretch on my part to view it as such. But this is often the way with the voice we know as well as our own, the one who’s recognition calms and soothes. Whenever Elvis sings, especially the often overlooked and dismissed 70’s offerings, there is a tender feel related to them, a call out, a cry, and a cord that anchors and connects. Perhaps it’s the soulful romantic nature, the knowledge of his life events during this time period mixed with our living it so fully in a youthful innocence as we were awakened to life’s perilous journey back in the day.

It’s a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
It’s a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
It’s a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try

It may have been decades since this one was penned and vocalized but the innate truth of holding onto one another with hope and unity until better days, is something I fiercely believe will bring a huge blessing of comfort when it seems night covers us so completely.

Dawn is always just beyond the horizon.


——————————————————————————————————————————————–
We Can Make the Morning 
(words & music by Jay Ramsey)

I just thought I heard a small voice crying
Looked again and saw that it was me
I feel like a little boy denying
That he fears the night ’cause he can’t see

Then a larger thought said stop your crying
Don’t be scared to search ’cause you may find
Fate holds out a candle for your footsteps
Time rolls back the shadows of your mind

It’s a long, long lonely night
You can make the morning if you try
It’s a long, long lonely night
Oh, we can make the morning if we try
Girl, we can make the morning you and I
Together, together, together

Loneliness is darkness’ first companion
Spend the night alone and faith may bend
Share it all and see how fear starts fading
Chase away the shadows with a friend

Dawn’s elusive light is just beginning
Now the day can push away the night
Dreams can make the sun feel much brighter
Hope creates a foothold for the light

It’s a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
It’s a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
Girl, we can make the morning you and I, Oh
Together

It’s a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
It’s a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
It’s a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try

Recorded: 05/20/1971, first released on single and Elvis Now