my favorite beatles' song.

I had a bad day the other day.

I won't go into too many details (because they're all a little ridiculous) but let's just say persistent ugly thoughts + not-so-great haircut + terrible traffic + complicated dinner prep = one unhappy Annie.

But then "Let It Be" came on.

And I remembered.

My senior year of high school, I drove my younger brother to school every day. And I took immense glory in forcing him to listen to my music for a change. (His blared from his bedroom every morning and afternoon, making it impossible to hear whatever was coming from my own CD player.)

Although I played my fair share of Relient K (I was a wannabe punk kid, remember?), I distinctly recall forcing Chet to listen to my Beatles CD... over and over and over again. Mom and Dad had introduced us to the Beatles, but that CD was my first foray into the band for myself. I loved "Come Together" and "Paperback Writer," and I didn't think anything could be better than the jam session (is it a jam session?) at the end of "Hey Jude."

But "Let It Be" was the theme song of my senior year. I don't even know why, exactly. Maybe it was college applications and becoming my own person and finding out who your real friends are. Whatever the reason, I had that song timed perfectly so that it would reach its climactic moment as we pulled into the school parking lot. I loved that song. Loved it. Memorized it. Cherished it. It became my mantra.

Just let it be.

On Tuesday night, the song blared from my iPod -- skipping occasionally, just like it did in my car back in the day -- as I chopped and stirred and flew about the kitchen, trying to calm myself down from the ledge.

Just let it be, Annie.

Maybe it's silly to think a song can change your mood and music can put to words the stirrings in your soul, but I think it's true.

And Tuesday, I desperately needed a reminder to let it be. The food. My face. Issues beyond my control. Let it all be.

Jordan says the song is about drugs, but Jordan says every song written in the 60s is about drugs.

And I just can't believe that. (And Paul says differently, so there.)

So I sing my little heart out, asking for help to just let it be. To trust that things are going to be okay.

And I remember how much that song meant to me when I was 18, and now, six (or is it seven?) years later, those words of wisdom still ring very, very true.

Let it be.