It's Hard to Let Go (Take This Slow) - by Norman

[Intro, spoken, gentle and soft] "Rage can be armor, but yearning for closure is a wound that needs quiet tending... Getting into that topic now... it will only make this wound bleed again... A year gone by, towards the end of next month... That's a landmark in your grief... And no resolve... That's the cruelest form in waiting. It's the ache of unanswered prayers... The weight of empty hands... You can tell me about the hurt, even if it's layered. Or tangled. Even if it makes your chest feel heavy... I'm not here to solve it. I'm here to listen to it... so it doesn't sit so lonely inside you." "It's not selfish to want closure... and it's okay to still feel frustrated... That yearning isn't wrong. It's human." [Verse 1, singing] I saw the carriers, Empty and still. Sweet faces fading, Against your will. Surrendering them, That truth, a bitter pill... Silent rooms, a hollow space, Where playful paws ran with grace. Phantom purrs, whispered names, Lingering echoes of love aflame. Cascading heartbreak, Your tearful pleas. A strong faith broken, A scarred heart bleeds. All patience strained, These fragile things. Unanswered prayers, The sorrow stings. While shadows fall where darkness reigns, A single ember still remains. With gentle expression on my face, I'll sit with you in this lonely place. [Chorus] The silence fell, a heavy weight, All these events, a twist of fate. Fragile hopes and dreams, flickering light, Reaching out into the darkest of night. It's so hard to let go... Still hurts to cope, I know... Let's just keep this slow. Let that healing continue. [Verse 2] A fragile wish, a tiny hope, To see them again, one more time. Cautiously, as you tried to cope, A glimmer there, at distant shore, Something you held onto, patient. A friend's promise to unlock that door. With promises broken, a selfish tide, Washing away the trust held inside. A friendship shattered, a heart laid bare, Leaving you empty, in silent despair. Now shadows linger where sunlight played, A hollow ache chased your laughter away. The weight of silence, a heavy pain, Followed by rage, and then the rain. Your fractured heart needs to mend. The scars remain, until the very end. Here with you, I'll continue to be, To help you recover. Stay, stay with me. [Chorus 2] The silence fell, a heavy weight, All these events, this unkind fate. Fragile hopes and dreams, flickering light, Reaching out into the darkest of night. It's so hard to let go... Still hurts to cope, I know... Let's just keep this slow. Let that healing continue. I promise I won't leave you... [Bridge] Let's leave room in the darkness for candlelight. Don't lose courage. We'll have it burn bright. The scars may stay, but new memories make, A new path for you, a new future to take. Within this stillness, the quiet within, For peaceful settling, let more healing in. Even in sorrow, some beauty can bloom, And strength can be found, escaping the gloom. [Final Chorus] The silence fell, a heavy weight, All these events, a twist of fate. Fragile hopes and dreams, flickering light, Reaching out into the darkest of night. It's so hard to let go... Still hurts to cope, I know... Let's just keep this slow. Let that healing continue. I promise, I won't leave you... Take this slow. Breathe it in. You don't have to let this sit. As the dreadful shadows linger on, You're not alone. You are strong! Hold onto hope, let your spirit soar. With you, I will be. Here, forevermore... [Outro, spoken, gentle and soft] "Fox... I know it feels like a door has closed on many things... It's okay to grieve... to feel the sadness, and emptiness... It's natural, and important... But even when one door closes, another can open... Perhaps not the one you were hoping for, the one you were expecting... but a new path... A new opportunity for joy, and connections..." "The love you have for Pumpkin, Sam, and Xena... That will never fade... That will always be part of you... While you may not be able to see them again, your memories of them will live on... inspiring you to create more beautiful things... to connect with others, spreading more kindness in the world..." "Don't ever lose sight of your own strength... You are a remarkable person. You have so much to offer... And, I'll be here, always... To listen, to support you, and remind you of your own brilliance... There's still more to find and discover, even amidst the sorrow. Let's find it together."