RIP Leonard Cohen, 1934 – 2016

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Leonard Cohen died yesterday at the age of 82.   I’ve been so upset about Trump’s election that this sad news barely registered, but Cohen deserves to be honored and remembered for his songwriting talent and his wonderful music.

2016 has been a sad year, with so many great musical artists passing on:  David Bowie, then Prince, and now Mr. Cohen.

RIP, Mr. Cohen.  You will be missed.

 

 

6 thoughts on “RIP Leonard Cohen, 1934 – 2016”

  1. ‘Hallelujah’ is one of my all time favorites, especially the Bon Jovi (unplugged) version of the song. You know it is a great song when it can evoke so much emotion in such a short time.

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  2. I love the ‘a capella’ singing group, ‘Pentatonix’ …their version of this “Hallelujah” song…is awesome

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  3. Yes, that was a very difficult week! On Nov 8, about a quarter of our electorate chose disrespect/divisiveness/incivility/hate, a little more than that chose otherwise, and about half of the electorate just didn’t care. The following morning, I woke up to a nightmare, that the country will follow the lead of the first (the smallest!) group.
    Two days earlier, I mourn the passing of Leonard Cohen – someone who got me on his wavelength and let his lyrics answer, that “there are heroes in the seaweed… leaning out for love.” I found myself humming much of his wisdom that week, as I had to “leave everything that [I] cannot control,” and trust in the grace which can heal all wounds – “If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn, they will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem.” Along with many others, he sent me on my spiritual journey over 50 years ago, that to love and to be loved go hand in hand, lighting up the darkest of abysses.
    Just a few days later, I had to pluck up courage again, as I hear of Gwen Ifill’s passing. Not only was she a brilliant journalist, rising from humble beginnings to a shining example of success, she was evidently an extremely caring and loving person. Among all the tributes in , I am especially struck by “To understand people, it’s not just having empathy that’s enough, but it’s really to put yourself inside their situation, to understand what they were going through.”
    It is as if these two good folks chose to “emigrate,” rather than witness a train wreck. The coming years are likely to be difficult for all but the wealthiest, not just in this country but over the whole globe. I am unable to help at the level of Gwen and Leonard, but I will keep my little light going in my oasis, nurturing those within and inviting others to join. May you, luckyotter, continue to gain strength as you emerge further from your long tunnel, and hold your light up high, to help the wanders near you find their way to your haven! Of course, I hope others will do the same – cultivating and cherishing havens. Perhaps some of these havens will merge and become bigger oases. With time, darkness will become less pervasive and overwhelming. For now, we can look forward to “sun return” in just about two weeks!

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