My Niece

Here’s the newest member of the Straw family, my niece! She currently enjoys making this face 😲 about almost anything, haha. We didn’t catch it here on camera, but, man, it’s hilarious. When she was first born, I’d just lost my job and just decided to get into music full time; that makes her a true day one supporter, in my book.

I say this sometimes, “I’ve already won,” when talking about those few precious things that I hold close to my heart. I don’t treat myself to a whole lot. I’ve never been one to care much for ‘stuff’. But I do love my family. They are a gift. When I was younger, I couldn’t see it, but now it’s as clear as day – my cup overflows, and it always has.

If you’re a creator and you’re pursuing that full time, or really, for anyone, it’s easy to get caught up in thinking about the success you don’t have, or in thinking you’re ‘behind’, or to get caught in a flood of self-doubt. I think that mindset requires an error in where you’re seeking value. To reset yourself, you’ve got to recognize where your cup overflows, where you’ve already won.

Nothing is guaranteed in my life. Not my health. My future. My home. And ultimately, on a long enough timeline, my own life is a loan that must one day be returned. In these small moments, like when I have this gift of being able to hold my niece, I think of that, and it makes me feel like, wow, how precious, and what a gift this really is, to be able to love and be loved, to breathe, to have life, to be here at all. If I have breath in my lungs, my cup overflows, and when my last breath does come, I hope I’m filled with gratitude for all those that came before it.

I wrote this while listening to Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song) by Oscar Isaac & Marcus Mumford.