Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne performs at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, Tuesday, May 15 , 2018, in Boston. (Photo by Robert E. Klein/Invision/AP)

In all people there are those empty pockets of time; frozen moments that hold our grief and sadness tightly in their grip. These emotions can and do dance around inside of us when we are caught in the grip of sorrow and reflection. Thoughts, images and remembrances of those who we have lost flow through our collective mind. They obviously quite personal in nature. Sometimes, expressing them can be a daunting challenge as our words seem to slip behind the gauzy veil of our emotions. Such private feelings and raw emotions that suddenly swirl around inside of us in these moments may seem strange, and not readily understandable to others. We are all different from one another, and we all process things in our own unique way. Such is the case with me in the aftermath of recently having attended a memorial service for my brother-in-law; my sister’s husband.

He lost his long and courageous battle with cancer leaving both sides of his family, as well as all of those who knew him and loved him, devastated. My sister is a strong and confident woman, and it broke my heart to see her so shattered.

Although fighting against the odds, my brother-in-law was a man who, right to the very end of his days, maintained an optimistic outlook, and who never complained, asked “Why me?” or cowered in the face of confronting an insidious disease. Many times in the final weeks leading up to his death, my sister would tell me that he considered himself to be a very lucky man, that was grateful for all that he had, and that he was not bitter or angry with the hand that life had dealt to him. His will was strong, and he left this world with a quiet dignity.

He was a big guy, and the rough and tough exterior that he projected hid a sensitive man with a heart of gold. In my mind, I always saw him, and will always remember him, as a man who loved the life that had been given to him. He lived that life as a wonderful husband, father and friend to those who knew him. His happiest moments were those that found him surrounded by his family.

As I say, sometimes the thoughts and imagines that, without warning, tumble around in one’s mind in times of sorrow and sadness are odd and perhaps may not be understood by others. Across my life, I’m a person who has always gravitated to music. It has always played a paramount role in my life. That being said, as I sat at my brother-in-law’s memorial service, the touching lyrics and beautiful melody of an old song from Jackson Browne was playing softly in my head in constant loop. The song in question is “For a Dancer.” Browne wrote it in tribute to a close friend of his who was an ice dancer, and who died many years ago; a friend who was taken too early as Browne laments in his soft and melodic singling voice.

I have always been a big Jackson Browne fan. In my opinion the man is a musical treasure, as through his words and tunes he captures so many of those things that are always somewhat illusive to the rest of us; those feelings and tugging emotions that often seem to reside just beyond the reach of our outstretched hand. “For a Dancer” is a case in point, as it is perhaps the most poignant and beautiful remembrance of a friend who has died that I have ever heard. I guess the highest compliment that I can pay to Jackson Browne is that I believe that “For a Dancer” is on the same scale as the John Lennon penned, Beatles masterpiece, “In My Life.”

For me, and maybe for someone who might be reading this, rediscovering Jackson Browne as that timeless musical artist who has touched and enriched us with his talent for decades is a pleasant experience. It’s a little bit like stumbling across a timeworn book that you read many years ago in the bottom of a half-crushed box in your attic or garage. It’s still there waiting for you to pick it up. When you open the cover, thumb through the now brittle pages, the years melt away in an instant as you remember just how much joy that book filled you with. The process of rediscovery is wonderful.

The difference is that Jackson Browne, the prototype for so many of the sensitive Southern California singer-songwriters who pioneered the Laurel Canyon sound in the 1970’s is light years away from being put on a dusty shelf or thrown into a cobwebby box in the attic. He has maintained his artistic viable. His words and melodies are still wrapped in a timeless cloak of romantic and dreamy sensitivity. They come from someplace way down deep in the core of his heart and soul that has the power to reach across time and space to resonate deeply with people. I know this because I’m one of those people who is still touched by the depth of feeling in his songs.

Since laying my brother-in-Law to rest “For a Dancer,” from his remastered “Late for the Sky” album has been like a constant companion to me. It never gets old, and it still has the power to reach out and touch me in a way that takes my breath away. Those who are familiar with this song will know exactly what I’m talking about. For in a long list of brilliant songs, “For a Dancer” is Jackson Browne’s musical masterpiece. For those who have not heard of it, Browne’s 2022 tour will be stopping in Boston on July 14th at the Leader Bank Pavilion. Who knows, perhaps this song will be on his set list. I hope so. The genius lyrics set against a beautiful melody have meant a great deal to me. I suspect that this would be the case with quite a few people who have images and memories of one who has passed away. So….thank you Mr. Browne.

Paul Collins is a freelance writer from Southborough, Massachusetts.