The reason we probably started dating is because I knew who

In the voice of humility and love, Susan Tedeschi, the soul-stirring musician whose voice carries both fire and grace, once said: “The reason we probably started dating is because I knew who Mahalia Jackson was. Derek's like, 'What? You do?' I was like, 'Yes, of course.’” Though these words may sound casual — a lighthearted reflection on how a shared love of music sparked romance — beneath them lies a profound truth about connection, recognition, and the sacred bond that forms when two souls meet upon common ground. For in that moment, when Susan and Derek discovered their mutual reverence for Mahalia Jackson, they were not merely talking about music — they were meeting in spirit.

To know Mahalia Jackson, the “Queen of Gospel,” is to know something of the heart’s deepest music — the cry of faith, of hope, of joy wrestled from sorrow. She sang not for applause but for truth, her voice rising from the depths of struggle to the heights of transcendence. For Tedeschi to say, “Yes, of course,” was not merely to recognize a name — it was to reveal a soul attuned to the sacred. In that shared reverence, Derek Trucks, the brilliant guitarist whose playing carries echoes of the divine, recognized in her a kindred heart. It was as though they spoke a secret language, one that did not need words. Their connection began, as all true connections do, with recognition of spirit — one soul seeing itself reflected in another.

In the ancient sense, this meeting of hearts through shared understanding is what philosophers once called “anagnorisis” — the moment of deep recognition that reveals truth and destiny. Just as Odysseus was known to Penelope not by his appearance but by his understanding of their shared world, so too did Susan and Derek know one another through their shared reverence for a deeper art. Their union began not in surface attraction, but in something sacred — a love for the same eternal music that transcends generations. When Derek asked, in astonishment, “You do?” it was not only surprise; it was awe, the recognition that before him stood someone who understood.

Mahalia Jackson, whose music carried the spirit of the African American struggle and the triumph of faith, represents far more than sound — she represents a heritage of soul, the lineage of truth passed from one heart to another through song. To know her, to feel her, is to be rooted in something timeless. Thus, the bond that began between Susan and Derek was not simply romantic; it was ancestral, born from the same wellspring of emotion that fuels every great artist. Their love was founded on a mutual respect for the sacred rhythm of life — the heartbeat of humanity that great music preserves.

In truth, this story is a parable about shared passion — the force that binds souls who walk the same path. When two people meet and recognize in each other the same devotion, the same reverence for beauty, something eternal awakens. Such a bond cannot be forged through appearance or convenience; it is born in the meeting of inner worlds. The ancients taught that when two souls harmonize in purpose, the gods themselves smile, for harmony is divine order made visible. In Susan and Derek’s story, music became the thread that drew them together — the invisible melody of destiny.

Yet this moment also teaches that love grows strongest not from novelty, but from shared meaning. The modern world often seeks connection through surface likeness, but true companionship arises when two people revere the same truth, whether it be faith, art, or kindness. The recognition of Mahalia Jackson in Susan’s heart was a sign that she carried the same reverence Derek did — not only for music, but for life itself. This is what made their bond enduring, what turned admiration into love and sound into silence shared in understanding.

So let this be your lesson, dear listener: seek not love through appearances, but through resonance. Find those who speak the language of your soul, who honor what you honor