I told you. Quiet does not equate to acoustic guitar and wispy feelings. Here we have the best non-80s, 80s song. Ever. INXS and Depeche Mode are so proud of you, Brandon. Because this beauty could have been a big moment in any John Hughes film and we would all be here for it.

The Killers are a thing around these parts. The most solid bit of art and creativity that my husband gifted our kids is his love for all things alternative music. The Killers are the gold standard. This band is the common ground of our family musical rainbow. We meet at the stage of a steady, sure, surprising musical great. And this year, the boys have us this gem. And I got to see them sing it.

If I’m perfectly honest, The Killers have not been the musical punch that I usually require for a good soul stirring. A great song to drive to? A hard day pick me up playlist at work? Always. They are the reliable solid. “boy” was released in August of this year. And I was immediately introduced to my new favorite Killer’s song. There is nothing like a coming of age gem to spark the soul of a wanderer. And that 1:30 minute mark electronic drive…gosh I miss the 80s. The sound was my first draw to the song. And then I heard the words.

“Just give yourself some time.”

“Don’t overthink it boy”

“When you’re out on the ledge, please come down boy.”

“White arrows will blast the black night…” that’s when I knew we had a burner. One that could shoot to the heart of my dark moments. Who are your white arrows? Because we all have the black nights. And sometimes those nights can’t be survived without just a little light. A tiny spark to break the paralyzing, death dark. I would not have survived the long dark spells without my white arrows this year. The ones that I have come to seek out and the ones that come flying through the air out of nowhere.

I had the obvious white arrows of nature and fur creatures and love. But I also had some less obvious white arrows. Flower picking, jet ski riding and good fires. The nightly look to the setting sun and a brief photographic pause. The friends that will not leave. The lone buck that visits my porch almost daily. Hope. The white arrows can be a small, distant shooting star. And that’s all we need.

The most beautiful part of the heart journey that music can invoke is the timeless nature of the truth. As a mom who has raised two 16 year olds, I get why this song should be a rear view reflection. But here I find myself right on my own edge at 47. When I hear the wisdom of life experience in this song, I imagine the ones that have come before me. The ones that now stand in the wisdom of the 60s and 70s. They chuckle at my mid life rambling. Because they know it will tell my story. And not kill me. Just give yourself some time…

And the quiet? On the days when the fire of the dark burns too hot it can’t be quiet, arrows. The arrow of learning to care for yourself. The arrow of knowing what your heart needs. The beautiful shining arrow of risk. My boy-like heart lives this anthem of self-assurance. That’s what happens when I lean in and trust that there will be enough of all for everything that is to come.