Without Refrain

Without Refrain

Those who are musically inclined are well aware of the ‘refrain’ in a song. The musical refrain is the “repeat”; the chorus, the bridge, the lick – accented by differentiated rhythm, synchronization, and sharp harmonic contrast. It’s the ‘swing low sweet chariot, comin’ for to carry me home’ part of the song - the part you sing with more vibrato because it is familiar’ – the part you sing more loudly and confidently because you know all the words.

The refrain is the familiar. The refrain is the repeat. The refrain is cyclical. But what about life’s refrains? They can be positive or negative. Repeatedly showing signs of affection to family, friends, and especially your children is a positive refrain, a positive repeated action. Regularly saving money for a rainy day or your retirement or children’s college education is a refrain, a positively repeated action. But refrains can also be negative. Forgiving your husband, boyfriend, paramour, lover, after he beat you yet again and promised that he wouldn’t, is a negative refrain, a negative repeated action. Robbing Peter to pay Paul cause you blew the money on frivolous spending and again can’t meet your financial obligations is a negative refrain, a negatively repeated action.

Some refrains we keep, and duplicate the concept in other areas of our lives. Others are refrains that we could do without. Are you living without refrain?