Hope in Little Things

I've hope you've all had a fabulous week. We are day four into a six day show week, and it's been nothing short of amazing out here. Hearing stories during our VIP meet and greet are always so inspiring. It seems more people than not battle with some sort of depression, and it feels good to hear how hope and music have kept so many going. That is HUGE.

 

Hope is incredibly beautiful. Being excited about something you're looking forward to is so helpful in creating that. For any of you who have come out to see us on this tour, you know Scooter talks in depth about his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts over the years.

 

Last week, one of our fans came up to me after the show and shared his own struggle that had happened a week prior. He attempted to take his life unsuccessfully, twice in one day. Thank God it was unsuccessful. He said he immediately checked himself into a hospital. He told me the only thing he could think about was being out in time to come to our show. Music is so healing. And he seemed in a much better place in that moment. I was moved by his story and so many others.

 

Shit is hard. Every day. It's easy to forget all we have to be grateful for when we're in the midst of a storm inside ourselves. But storms always pass. They may come in hard and rearrange some things, but the sun always comes back out, and we're typically even stronger because of it. And more often than not, the storms that make us uncomfortable are there in order to get us to move. So, if you are struggling in any way, please know you are not alone. Please talk with someone. Things will get better. You're much more powerful than you know. 

 

I was having a conversation with Ed, our guitarist, who is also the vocalist for University Drive this morning about how much we both love coffee. I have one or two cups every morning. I go to bed excited about my morning cup of coffee. It's so dumb. So does he. So we giggled about how most times, it's the little things in life, even when we're having a shitty day.

 

Something I do every single night when I'm laying down to go to sleep is take an inventory of all the amazing things that happened that day. I got to wake up, I had clean water to drink, I had food to eat, a roof over my head, I have people in my life I love…the list can be vague or sometimes very specific. I've found that the more I practice gratitude and have hope for the little things we often take for granted, bigger things come to be grateful and hopeful for. Take nothing for granted, my friends. 

 

It takes consistency and commitment to pivot and redirect ways of thinking and being that you've been accustomed to for so long. Be gentle with yourself.  But I promise, it's worth it. So, tonight, when you go to sleep, take inventory of all the good that manifested today, so you can create more to hope for and look forward to in the AM.

 

Until next week, I love you.