Somewhere Between Hell And Hallelujah

After my parents divorced, Mama moved us from Pensacola, Florida to a small country town an hour away in Alabama. That is when I became aware of the different music genres. I had always listened to country in addition to the pop/rock tunes. The Judds were new on the music scene as a mother-daughter duo and they skyrocketed to fame with their harmonies and catchy lyrics.

Alot has changed since 1985 for The Judds and in my own life. Naomi Judd, the mother of the duo, has since passed away in April 2022.

I lost my own mama in September 2024. I can say with certainty that you are never prepared for the loss of a parent.

You feel like you will drown from the overwhelming grief. Somehow, you manage to make it through day by day. It is human nature to survive - even when we don’t want to go on.

It has been nearly 5 months since mama left us. Life goes on in spite of the pain. The grief floats just beneath the surface of my psyche, but it is not the main emotion I experience in my daily life now.

Death has a way of pulling things into focus. Are the things we are stressing ourselves out over really worth it? We waste so much of our life and energy allowing ourselves to freak out over circumstances, to fight back when people come against us, or to hang on to people who no longer have our best interests at heart.

Naomi and Wynonna Judd

While The Judds appeared to have it all, behind the scenes there were secrets that threatened to destroy their music career and family relationships.

Secrets keep families sick. Secrets keep families in shame. We often feel so alone in our heartache and shame, but there are so many people who have faced similar things.

None of us make it through life unscathed.

Therefore, I definitely relate to the song lyric from Wynonna. I am somewhere between hell and hallelujah. I am not yet where I want to be, but I am also not where I used to be. I am, and forever will be, a work in progress.

I am thankful that I can now recognize the growth. We often cannot see our growth until we look back in reflection. Recognizing the growth can be a motivating factor in continuing the healing process.

How do we begin the healing process? We have to feel and deal with those tough emotions that came from the trauma we experienced in ways that work for us individually. What works for one person may not work for another.

You have to be open to trying different healing modalities until you find what works best for you.

Wynonna Judd

Wynonna Judd

Some things you can consider to help your healing process are: exercise, journaling, talk therapy, EDMR therapy, massage, art therapy, reiki, meditation or prayer, holistic medicine, and so much more.

You are not alone. There is help available. Call or Text 988 to reach 988 Lifeline a suicide and crisis hotline where you can receive help free of charge.

Source: The Judds let the secrets fly in TV documentary