When You Replace Me

It is going to happen. You love someone and then,one day, it ends and while you try to figure out what went wrong, they find someone else.

Almost five years have passed since I first met her. She sat towards the front of the room and she had one of the prettiest faces I had ever seen. Her eyes were bright and full of life and she had an energy about her.

Before long, we would begin dating and I wanted to marry her. I wanted to wake up next to her, start a family with her, grow old with her. Somehow I fell in love.

While we were together , I kept a journal. I would constantly write in it. Every entry was written to her and one year, on her birthday, I gave it to her. She cried and smiled and hugged me and kissed me.

Each page was filled with memories of our nights and days together. Writing to her helped me learn how to love her and took it to a depth that I never thought possible. Even though the writing brought about a depth of emotion, it couldn’t be sustained. In time it came undone.

She said she felt like she was settling by being with me and that she deserved better. I was dealing with a lot of inner struggles, including my health. It all fell apart but not before I started another journal … a journal that I kept for close to 6 months after the break up.

I felt like I had no one to turn to, with the exception of a good friend by the name of Richard, and I really didn’t want to put him out. So, I turned to the journal and I was no longer writing for the sake of love but to heal and forget and let go.

In that journal are the lyrics to ‘When You Replace Me’. It was perhaps one of the last entries.

The song is a goodbye. It is about wishing someone well and hoping that they find everything they ever dreamed.

It is going to happen. You love someone and then, one day, it ends and if you really do love them you will wish them all the best even if that isn’t you.

‘When You Replace Me’

“When you replace me
I hope that he’s strong
Can carry your heavy heart and help you along
I hope he’s your charming prince
and can do no wrong
When you replace me
I hope that he’s strong

When you replace me
I hope that he’s brave
Can stare down all your fears
and drive them away
I hope he’s the kind to rush in
and save the day
When you replace me
I hope that he’s brave

Oh, all that you want and all I’ll never be
You, you did what you must
I know you have to leave
All that you want, All that you need
I hope you find love
Even if it is without me

When you replace me
I hope that he’s kind
Can take away all your cares
One kiss at a time
I hope that he rides a white horse
Wears armor that shines
When you replace me
I hope that he’s kind”

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