You Matter
Also published on The Huffington Post
Soul bearing. Here we go –
I know Ed Sheeran because of my son, Matt. Matt played the music for Thinking Out Loud for YouTube and then flamed out on the vocals. He said he just couldn’t do it.
I believe in my son. I said “Sing it an octave lower. You can.”
If it’s the song he wanted to do, I wanted him to do it.
I knew he could.
Everything he chooses that pertains to music is a win. He has an ear for the intricacies of music where mine falls deaf. I’ve learned in his young life to step aside. I’ve seen enough of what he can do….that I knew he could do it.
Then, I saw Ed Sheeran’s video Photograph.
It, of course, brought me to tears.
That Ed’s folks had so many home movies to make such a video is…beautiful. Can’t all of us parents do that? Maybe not with video, but in our minds? Or photos tucked into our back pockets of our jeans….or our phones. I hope so. Let’s do so.
In Ed’s video, I saw my little men. Matt. Ben. Growing. Stretching. Contemplative. Silly. Developing the sensitive, curious, intelligent, skilled people they’ve become.
My sons don’t look anything like Ed – no red hair, no glasses, no shyness.
But I see my boys none the less.
The video, and my sons, show me every day that we all matter. All of what is different about us is best.
You matter.
I matter.
Our stories matter.
We are human beings experiencing life. Collectively, we are all on a similar path. Where we diverge on the path is what makes our lives different…and interesting.
And that’s not just enough. That’s everything.
We all matter.
Ed Sheeran’s (beautiful) Photograph
Loving can hurt Loving can hurt sometimes But it's the only thing that I know When it gets hard You know it can get hard sometimes It is the only thing that makes us feel alive We keep this love in a photograph We made these memories for ourselves Where our eyes are never closing Hearts are never broken Times forever frozen still So you can keep me Inside the pocket Of your ripped jeans Holdin' me closer 'Til our eyes meet You won't ever be alone Wait for me to come home Loving can heal Loving can mend your soul And it's the only thing that I know I swear it will get easier Remember that with every piece of ya And it's the only thing we take with us when we die We keep this love in this photograph We made these memories for ourselves Where our eyes are never closing Our hearts were never broken Times forever frozen still So you can keep me Inside the pocket Of your ripped jeans Holdin' me closer 'Til our eyes meet You won't ever be alone And if you hurt me That's OK, baby, only words bleed Inside these pages you just hold me And I won't ever let you go Wait for me to come home [4x] Oh you can fit me Inside the necklace you got when you were 16 Next to your heartbeat Where I should be Keep it deep within your soul And if you hurt me Well, that's OK, baby, only words bleed Inside these pages you just hold me And I won't ever let you go When I'm away I will remember how you kissed me Under the lamppost Back on 6th street Hearing you whisper through the phone,
"Wait for me to come home."
Writer(s): Johnny Mcdaid, Ed Sheeran, John Mcdaid Copyright: Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Uk) Limited, Polar Patrol Music Limited
Lyrics from: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/edsheeran/photograph.html
Photo: Pinterest from viralnova.com
