Music has always been my outlet to express the emotions I didn’t have a name for. I have music for all the feels. It’s a coping tool that has gotten me through the good and bad times.

Music is a beautiful expression of the human experience. It can translate through our differences and create a universal connection...something that is relevant and relatable regardless of who you are and where you’re at.

That’s what all the best art does, and it’s something that’s helped me through multiple stages of my life.

I recently discovered the band First Aid Kit. I loved their sound first… the harmonies between the two sisters. The gypsy grooves of their music. But what really got me was the lyrics.

I listen hard to what a musician is saying in their songs. And the song ‘Silver Lining’ said all the things I was feeling at this point of my life. The past couple of years have been a roller coaster for me. In this time I have learned how to be alone and stand on my own two feet, even when I questioned my ability to do so.

The struggles of the journey seemed unbearable at times. I didn’t know what the point of my suffering was. If there even was a point. All the life plans I thought I had for myself had went up in smoke. I was forging a new path in uncharted territory. And that was scary.

What got me through was a whole lot of faith. I believe there is a bigger purpose in our lives. That there is a being that guides us and loves us and wants the best for us. That this cosmic force has an ultimate purpose and path for us, if we choose to accept it.

I learned a lot of acceptance during the last couple of years. To accept the things that I cannot change. The courage to change what I could. And to know that there is so much that’s beyond my knowing. And it’s in that space my faith has guided me.

“I don’t want to wait anymore. I’m tired of looking for answers.”

Sometimes there aren’t answers to be had. And that’s a very hard thing for me. I want to know all the things so I can best decide what to do. Especially when faced with changes and challenges, I want to cling to the things I know.

But what I found on this leg of my journey is the things we know aren’t always what serves us best. Sometimes we have to let go of those crutches we’ve leaned on for years. We let go, and stumble into the wilderness of the unknown.

“I hear a voice calling….calling out for me. These shackles I’ve made in an attempt to be free. Be it for reason, be it for love, I won’t take the easy road.”

It isn’t an easy road to be sure. When we are faced with growing past our past, beyond our hang-ups and traumas that have been holding us back, we feel vulnerable. Exposed. It’s a scary spot to stand, and to stand well in. I won’t say I’ve walked this path with grace the whole time. I've hit every stumbling block I could have. Fell on my face more than a few times. The challenge of the new is to continue despite those stumbles and falls. Not to head back to the safety of our crutches. To have faith that there is something better waiting for us up ahead, and not keep our eyes on the rearview.

We have to keep on keeping on.