**Bethenny Frankel_Lyrics to Song**
Lyrics
**Draft 1 --- Narrative arc (timeline)**
**Verse 1**\
I thought I had more time to see,\
Life was rushing ahead of me.\
At forty-one, I knew the cost,\
Joy and fear for what was lost.

**Pre-Chorus**\
It was brief, it slipped away,\
No choice in how the cards would play.

**Chorus**\
Strong but shaken, that's who I am,\
Dreams don't follow a perfect plan.\
A chapter closed, yet love remains,\
Hope still flickers through the pain.

**Verse 2**\
Doctors' words were calm, direct,\
Life's a script you don't expect.\
I stood steady, though I bled,\
Grateful still for what I had.

**Pre-Chorus**\
It was brief, it slipped away,\
But I choose to live each day.

**Chorus**\
Strong but shaken, that's who I am,\
Dreams don't follow a perfect plan.\
A chapter closed, yet love remains,\
Hope still flickers through the pain.

**Bridge**\
I speak my truth, I own my part,\
No silence weighing on my heart.\
Sharing sorrow makes it real,\
But honesty's the way I heal.

**Final Chorus**\
Strong but shaken, that's who I am,\
Dreams don't follow a perfect plan.\
A chapter closed, yet love remains,\
Hope still flickers through the pain.

**[🎼 Style Sheet (200 characters)]{.mark}**

Acoustic pop ballad with theatrical phrasing. Female voice, tender yet
strong. Piano-led verses, swelling strings in chorus. Clear diction,
emotional rise, graceful outro with soft fade.

**[🎼 Style Sheet (300 characters)]{.mark}**

Emotive vocal ballad blending acoustic storytelling and musical theatre.
Female soprano voice with clarity and warmth. Piano foundation, lush
orchestral strings, and subtle percussion. Verses intimate and
confessional, choruses soaring with cinematic lift. Tone: resilient,
heartfelt, hopeful yet grounded.