Tears - 79th and Coles

There was very light traffic as I passed McCormick Place onto South Lake Shore Drive. On the right side of the road, I noticed a newly-erected, simple square stone sculpture with the words "You Are Beautiful" engraved large enough for all passersby to read, even at 45-50 miles per hour.

As the lake gleamed in the sunlight to my left, I passed the Museum of Science and Industry, the Jackson Park marina, and the 63rd Street beach house. I continued on, down the stately brick three-story townhouses along Jeffrey Boulevard.

As I arrived at 79th Street, the streets were quiet, the shops were closed, many stores were boarded up, and many buildings looked like it had been a while since a store operated there.

A short walk from the lakefront, the polygon-shaped brick structure which was my destination emerged on my left. A handful of people were scattered around this deceptively spacious auditorium when I walked in. On stage, six singers were running through their final rehearsals and sound checks.

Midway through the event, the singers began a rendition of a song called “Total Praise” by Richard Smallwood. It is a song I have known for over 20 years, and it has been therapeutic for me at pivotal moments throughout my adult life.

So it was fitting that on this Sunday morning, one day after I attended a memorial service for a close friend, concluding a week of grieving and reflection, that I found myself tearing up as the singers sang the song’s chorus:

As the choir ran through the series of melodic Amens in the song’s bridge, I did not have it in me to lift my hands. I allowed tears to flow, and as the sun moved directly into the window over my head, I allowed myself to feel, and to heal.

A few minutes later, an upbeat jazz saxophone solo completed my move from sadness to joy, in remembrance of my friend.

The journey continues in the Chatham neighborhood on the south side, at the corner of 79th Street and Coles.

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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