The World Doesn't Know That Paul McCartney Was My Boyfriend

Paul McCartney was my first boyfriend. Really. I know it's true because he first came to the United States in time to celebrate my fifth birthday.

Paul and Me
(Photo of Paul McCartney: By The_Fabs.JPG: United Press International (UPI Telephoto) Cropping and retouching: User:Indopug and User:Misterweiss derivative work: Zakke (The_Fabs.JPG) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

The year was 1964 and I heard rumblings, and seen photographs, of four mop-top British musicians who were heading to America. I knew about them because as the youngest child I learned at an early age a lot about music (and a lot of other things) from my two older brothers who were crazy about music.

Of course, I followed their lead.

My mom was busy planning my birthday party, getting ready to make platters of tuna fish sandwiches and Velveeta dip with corn chips for me and my friends to gorge on.

She baked my favorite Duncan Hines white cake with chocolate frosting for dessert, and prepared games like pinata and musical chairs for us to play in our basement. Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey was always my favorite.

But I was sure I knew what my real birthday present was going to be. That angel faced guitar player, the one I'd seen somewhere over the past few weeks, was coming to my party. Where had I seen him? Was it on television? In a magazine? I don't remember, but his face stuck to my heart.

I clearly remember one bad in kindergarten while I was sitting next to my best friend, D. It was time to get ready for snack time. We always made sure to run back to our chairs after stuffing our crayons and smocks into our assigned cubbyholes so we we could sit next to each other.

But this time was different. After we took our seats, I announced I was going to make pretend Paul was sitting next to me. Then it happened. She proclaimed he couldn't possibly sit with me because he would be sitting next to her.

How dare she.

Those were fighting words, and we began to argue back and forth and back and forth, until our kindergarten teacher had to separate us.

I knew I won the fight, because Paul would only want to sit with me.

At my birthday party, D was still invited. We had made up, mostly because I knew I had won. What was the point of staying mad at someone who could still choose between John, George or even Ringo?

She could come to my party, and we could remain best friends.

My 5th birthday party, 1964

My birthday came and went, and my party was a smashing hit.

But, alas, there was no Paul.

Until the next night, when some old sourpuss looking man on a TV show announced it was going to be a very special night. I wasn't paying too much attention, until I heard the deafening sound of a lot of screaming girls.

I looked at the TV, and there he was. My angel-faced boyfriend, standing on a platform with three other guys, singing a song that melted my little girl heart.

Sigh. I knew I was right all along. Paul McCartney did come to America to help me celebrate my birthday. I forgave him for being a day late, but that didn't matter. There, in beautiful black and white, he was singing his way into my heart.

She loves you. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

What Did Paul McCartney Remind Me And What Does It Have To Do With Handling Stress?

“When I find myself in times of troubles,
Mother Mary comes to me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be.

English: John Lennon and Paul McCartney at Ken...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What’s a nice Jewish girl doing writing a post that begins by singing praises of Mother Mary?

Yesterday, I re-watched Sir Paul McCartney being honored at The Kennedy Center Honors. This is my favorite award show, when peers honor the best and the brightest artists. Musicians such as Nora Jones, Steven Tyler, James Taylor and Mavis Staples belted out McCartney-Lennon songs for Sir Paul. I broke out in goose bumps.

And when the broken hearted people living in a world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see.
There will be an answer. Let it be.

When James began strumming on his guitar and singing “Let It Be”, I realized what the next topic for my blog post would be.

When I was first diagnosed with MS, I was told to learn to handle stress for optimal health. Through the years, I’ve read about and tried many different ways of coping; some have worked and some have not.

After all of my searching, I realized the most important lesson I’ve learned.

Mandala Spiritual Art It doesn’t matter what anyone else believes in. (At least not to me.) It can be Mary or Jesus, Moses, Buddha or The Golden Rule. As long as you have something of your own, something tucked safely within your heart and soul that is your personal belief system. That is what matters. Because inevitably, someday, somehow, when your faith is tested, your beliefs will step up to the plate for you, ready to help you navigate your bumpy road. It will give you comfort, courage and hope for a better tomorrow.

And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me.
Shine until tomorrow. Let it be.

My personal beliefs are a recipe of sorts. I start out with my Judaic beliefs, lines from great poetry and the teachings of Buddha. Add to that the many lessons learned from my father and my uncle, great readers of literature and poetry. Blend in large amounts of the wonders of nature. Top it off with meaningful stories shared by close family and friends.

These beliefs are the ones I turn to at the end of the day. They renew my spirit, and give me courage and strength.

I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me.
Speaking words of wisdom. Let it be.
Let it be, let it be. Let it be, yeah, let it be.

Through my advocacy work and my writing, I’ve spoken to hundreds of people Hiking Along Country Road struggling with the burdens of living with an autoimmune disease. I tell them how I’ve learned to deal with stress. I hope someday they will think of me, and discover what beliefs work best for their journey.

There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be, let it be,
yeah, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be." ~John Lennon/Paul McCartney

Let me offer a few ways I’ve learned to try to lower my stress levels:

Go on news fasts. This was sound advice I read years ago by Dr. Andrew Weil. The world will keep on spinning whether you stay on top of the daily news or not. Any local news channel will first air violent stories in order to grab your attention. In the past, my hands and feet would start to tingle when listening to the news. No more. On most days I read top stories delivered to my inbox from The New York Times, Forbes or The Wall Street Journal. Of course, there’s no way to avoid the news completely. But, every once in awhile, do yourself a favor and take a break from it.
Give yourself a gift. Act silly with good friends. Go on a romantic date with your spouse or companion. Enjoy quality time with your children. Curl up with a good book. Play with your pets. Go for a walk in beautiful surroundings. Listen to uplifting music. Give yourself the gift of joy and laughter.
Take the negative out of your life. You know, the negative. Negative people, negative events and negative thoughts. Let your intuition guide you. It will tell you if something doesn’t feel quite right. Try replacing any negative thoughts with positive ones. (See Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).
Exercise. Regular exercise has been proven to decrease your levels of stress. I try to take walks every day. Some are shorter than others, and on bad days I use our treadmill. A short walk is better than none at all.

So, whether it’s Mother Mary or Moses or The Golden Rule that you believe in, each ARE standing right in front of you. Waiting to help. Waiting to keep you brave. Waiting to give you wisdom. Waiting to give you hope.

What beliefs help you handle stress?

DISCLAIMER: Comments from An Empowered Spirit are brought to your attention on topics that could benefit you and should be discussed with your doctor or other medical professional. I am not medically trained and my posts are of a journalistic nature and not in lieu of medical advice. An Empowered Spirit and its author will not be held liable for any damages incurred from the use of this blog or any data or links provided.

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