No parent ever expects to lose a child. In fact, it’s every parents worst nightmare.
Still, as we’ve learned, there is no minimum age requirement to be whisked away from the arms of your mother and father. In the blink of an eye, a family photo can be altered forever.
The Pain Is As Unbearable As The Loss
The loss of a child leaves an emptiness almost impossible to describe. Still, there are songs written and sung, stories told and prayers said. They don’t get rid of the pain, but they help take the edge off the haunting emptiness.
“Streets of Heaven,” co-written and recorded by Australian country music artist, Sherrie´Austin, shares the moments in a mother’s series of 2 AM hospital room prayers for her seriously ill and dying seven-year-old daughter. The title refers to the last line in each chorus, as well as the end of the song, wherein she makes the request,
“So if you take her with you today, will you make sure she looks both ways, and would you hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven.”
Real Life
The story that inspired the song is based on a real-life and near death experience that Austin’s family went through. Her younger brother nearly died from an illness when he was a child. After writing the song, the singer-songwriter realized the experience left a bigger impression on her than she realized.
Offering Hope And Peace of Mind
Austin released this tear-jerker in 2003 as the first title track from her album “Streets of Heaven”. It was meant to comfort everyone who’s ever lost anyone, to give them hope and maybe, a little peace of mind. Too, for the artist, the words soothed some emotional wounds.
An Empty Place At The Table
For every parent with empty arms, a broken heart, eyes tired of crying and an empty place at the dinner table, this was written for you.
Unconditional Love
Hold fast to your memories, wrap your arms around a loved one, close your eyes and open your heart to the joy of what was. Unconditional love never wanes; it only grows and goes on forever.
When you listen to this song, you’ll know why Austin wrote it and the feelings that made it happen.
What do you think of this song? How does it make you feel?