Grace Notes

a blog about life’s everyday magic

September 6, 2016

Forever Is Real

Grace Notes | Forever Is Real

Words: Hayley Solano
Photo credit: Hayley Solano

 

It was an evening in late September when I knew we were losing each other.

 

I knew we were forgetting. So I wrote. I wrote it all, I described every memory I had with him, laced with the most magical details. The nights we talked on the phone until sunrise, the secret promises we made in the drive-thru line, the summer days he carried me across the parking lot to get ice cream. I combed through my journal entries hoping I could find the moment — the moment it all started fading. As a hopeless romantic, a firm believer in fairytales and happy endings, I didn’t understand how the stars had become so scattered and desperately clung to the hope that I could put them back in line.

 

Despite attempts to recall every chapter we wrote together, our story inevitably came to an end. Now faced with the repercussions of a naive and broken heart, my only choice was to do what I’ve always done: write. The words we exchanged at 2 AM became choruses. The dreams we shared became melodies. We became songs.

 

As time passed, my naive and broken heart grew careful and whole again. I didn’t find myself writing about us anymore. Instead, I found happiness that was not contingent on the heart of another. He and I were just another scene in my highlight reel and as a young dreamer with the world at her feet, I planned to make a million more on my own.

 

One of those scenes came on a Friday night when my heart raced as I slipped on a little black dress, opened the latches on my guitar case, and prepared to take a stage I had only ever dreamed about. I know my eyes must have been particularly starry that evening as I stood where some of my favorite storytellers once had. I sang songs about fading memories … People who mean the most to me … Magical moments.

 

As I looked into the eyes of a room of strangers, I realized something extraordinary: Forever Is Real.

 

I realized the people you’ve lost, the experiences you’ve had, are never truly gone. The best friend you had before she moved away, the love that broke your heart, even the car ride you had with your mother yesterday, aren’t gone at all. They become chapters in a story you can reread as many times as you’d like. When I’m on stage, guitar on my lap, heart on my sleeve, I relive cherished memories, I share them with an audience who have their own cherished memories, their own wonderful stories. Nothing has ever felt more magical, even those summer days when a boy I used to know carried me across the parking lot to get ice cream.

 

Since then, my story has taken unexpected twists and turns, in the absolute best way. I know now more than ever how beautiful it is to document every moment, what a gift it is to carry memories, what a gift it is to tell our stories. Every time I hear a song, see a painting, a photograph …When I curl up in the blanket my great-grandmother made or read a book … I relish in the realization that the inspiration behind creation is everlasting — that forever is real.

 

“For it is up to you and me

to take solace

in nostalgia’s arms

and our ability

to create

the everlasting

from fleeting moments.”

― Sanober Khan, A Touch, A Tear A Tempest

 

“I’ve always loved writing. I was quite shy growing up and my notebook and a pen became like best friends to me. As soon as I realized I wanted to share my stories through music, my journal entries turned into lyrics, I picked up a guitar, and never looked back.” Hayley Solano is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter from Southern California. Her music is often described as personal and relatable, receiving praise for her strong, heartfelt lyrics – she strives to share stories from the most genuine place she can. When she’s not playing music you’ll find her baking in the kitchen – cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles are her favorite! hayleysolano.com // @hayleysolano

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Comments ( 7 )

  1. Tisa Hosford

    April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm

    Absolutely lovely–touching–heartfelt–reached back into the depths of my memories and brought forth beauty I had almost forgotten. Thank you! Sing on!

  2. Hayley Solano

    April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm

    Thank you Tisa! So happy you enjoyed it! ♥

  3. Mary

    April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm

    This is so moving Haley! What a heartfelt and wonderful piece – you have such a way with words. I will carry this story with me today and the imagery it brings to life. Thank you so much for sharing these memories and helping me to frame mine in a new light.

  4. Nancy

    April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm

    Although this lovely post is about young love and loss, this makes me hold close those who are “losing” old love because of dementia or Alzheimers. The person you love is still there, but not able to be “there” in the same way. But “forever is real.” Thank you for sharing that light.

  5. Hayley Solano

    April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm

    Thank you so much for the kind words, Mary! It warms my heart to know that my words could touch you. You are lovely!

  6. Hayley Solano

    April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful perspective. That’s one of my favorite things about storytelling: it can touch or inspire others in a way you hadn’t imagined. You are lovely, Nancy!

  7. www.essco.net

    April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm

    Some things don’t last forever, but some things do. Like a good song, or a good book, or a good memory you can take out and unfold in your darkest times, pressing down on the corners and peering in close, hoping you still recognize the person you see there.

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