We’ve been receiving dozens of stories from people coast to coast about the transformative power of music. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we are publishing a story every day in May.

Submitted by: Darlene C Alvarez (Twitter: @bonjourdarlene Blog: BonjourDarlene.com)

Once in a blue moon, you encounter a beautiful piece of music that heals you. For me, that song is John Mayer’s “Born and Raised“ (2012, Columbia Records).

The lyrics to this song may be personal to John Mayer, but they are relatable.

I’m in my mid-40s and as I get older, I’m working on my own authenticity and not tolerating any BS. So these lyrics speak to me:

“Then all at once it gets hard to take

It gets hard to fake what I won't be...”

Before this song, I didn’t have the courage to admit that I’m never going to achieve some goals that I had set for myself when I was younger. The following lyrics reassure me that it’s time to acknowledge that and then accept it. It doesn’t mean I’ve given up, though. It gives me permission to dream new dreams as I am in a different stage in life:

“I still have dreams, they're not the same

They don't fly as high as they used to...”

My brother and I were raised by our single mother. So these lyrics speak to me:

“I got a mom, I got a dad

But they do not have each other... ”

Overall, “Born and Raised“ makes me feel normal and that I fit in.

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