Joni Mitchell and My Brother Eric

I'm still thinking about the Grammys. It was one of the best awards shows I've seen in a long time. There were several beautiful performances including Tracy Chapman with Luke Combs, and Billie Eilish. Miley Cyrus was on fire. And then there was the luminous and miraculous Joni Mitchell who at age 80 gave her first Grammy performance. I've loved Joni Mitchell since I listened to her poetic album "Court and Spark" in my dorm room and dreamed of going to “People’s Parties.” Joni Mitchell suffered a serious brain aneurysm in 2015 that left her unable to walk or talk. At the Grammys, she performed the moving "Both Sides Now," which brought tears to the eyes of those in the audience. A few days before my brother Eric died, he sent me a text message that said that he had posted a song at the end of his latest Substack article that he thought I would like. It was "Both Sides Now." The version that was in the movie CODA. Of course it was stunning and I texted him back that I needed to see the movie. He responded, "Def." "Both Sides Now" is a rich, gorgeous song about love and loss. For me it has become a heartbreaking reminder of my brother Eric and all that we lost.