Forged in Fire

You know, it can be awfully easy to get bogged down by the weight of it all, can’t it?

The pressures, the demands, the expectations. The tough choices, the hard conversations, the moments of heartache and despair. The peaks and valleys of the life that we aim to carry out to the very best of our human limitations.

It can be a lot – and for many, too much.

But, despite it all, I’ve found one (incredibly) important thing to keep in mind.

As the world-renowned superstar musician, Zach Bryan, states in one of his more recent tracks: “How Lucky Are We?”

In-context:

“Took twenty-eight years of blood I was lost in

To feel loved on my own birthday

And I always felt like I’s in between somethin’

Like home and somewhere far away

But tonight on the west side in a bar out in Brooklyn

I saw tears outline your face

How lucky are we?

It’s been a hell of a week, but you’re all grown now

There’s smoke seepin’ out of your bloody teeth

But you’re home somehow”

As with any well-written ballad, lyrics are often subject to personal interpretation. This chorus is no exception. That said – you can’t deny the opportunity for application to the stories we are all writing through our day to day experiences. 

In the hustle and bustle of it all, while we traverse the many proverbial high’s and low’s that are standard for a life well-lived, it stands as no super-secret that we tend to lose sight of the blessings attached to such trials. 

Most specifically, as a young husband, father and member of the workforce – amidst the throws of hard lessons, mistakes, and constant need for re-alignment. Lack of sleep, jam-packed schedules and a never-ending to-do list.

Said once more – it’s a lot.

But – (and this is big), how lucky are we? To be tasked with such pressures. What a beautiful thing it is to long for sleep, due to a young child’s dependence on you as their father or mother? How amazing is it, really, to have your days filled with work – both to provide for those who you love more than anything here in the flesh, and to grow alongside said people? The wonders that you might find in being held to a high-standard, as it sharpens you – forcing you to expand and to flourish? 

How, and why would any of these things be cast aside as burdensome? Why must we lose sight of the spectacle that is the life we are gifted? 

To be alive today should bring about the most immense gratitude. And to live a life filled with such wonder – how can we consider ourselves anything short of lucky?

Forge on.

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