this song happened about the time i graduated from high school. a pretty timely message for me at the time. i was about to float out into the universe with new found independence. suddenly i had independence and lack of a plan. all i knew was that i wanted to live on my own asap and that the conventional route of college didn't feel right for me.
about a year later. after some hard work. some successes. i'm sure some failures though now there isn't a single one that memory can recall. i decided to up and move to utah. life changing. right course. thank god i was so independent. there was no fear. simply excitement and hope for the infinite possibilities that existed for little old brooke.
a year into my utah adventure for my birthday i received a package from my other parents. it was this book. it included some pretty moving and beautiful words along with the CD single of this song. i listened to it more than a million times. i belted the song out as loud as i possibly could any time i was driving solo. i knew every verse and every word by heart. but for all of my intimate knowledge of and time spent with the song it never once touched me as deeply and sincerely as it did just days ago when it came on a radio station that i never listen to at 6:45 in the morning as i drove to target to bust down the doors of the "day after christmas" sale. i arrived to target covered in tears, gratitude, appreciation, and love.
the tears were good. they were happy emotion. they were for the joy i have for where i am today. for the people who stood behind me from the time i was a loud, crazy, confused teenager all the way to this day. for the people who's love never changed, never faltered. the people who were the winds of love, hope, and belief in me whenever i seemed to have lost the wind in my sails. many a time never knowing that their email, phone call, blog comment, text message, or facebook post was the reminder i needed that i can do anything. anything.
i harbor (and believe that i will for as long as i live) a great amount of gratitude and appreciation for those who loved me as their own child, no matter what. you never left. you let me explore, in fact you encouraged me to explore, but you have always been "home" when i was ready to come back. i believe that it is your belief in me that eventually allowed me to truly believe in myself. i know that i can do anything, because you've always known. you were right. when i get the choice to sit it out or dance, i dance.
