Song: "You Drew a Crooked Line"

"Bloody mess, ER trip / Got you a popsicle stick"

Welcome back to 🏝 The Little Island. Today, I’m sharing a song I wrote awhile back about the way emotions can color our view of reality — to the point that we miss something basic and vital about who we are and what we have.

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Song Background

I struggle at times to keep my emotions in check — for example, during toddler meltdowns or when navigating challenging situations with our teen. It’s easy to let these difficult, frustrating moments overshadow the beautiful ones and taint my perception of reality. So I attempted to write this song as if I were sitting down 20 or 30 years in the future and reflecting on difficult parenting moments with a clearer head.

Song

“You Drew a Crooked Line”

Four pounds, fingers curled

You came into the world

Beeping machines and tubes

Fed you inside a cube

Seems it was yesterday

Seems it was yesterday

Balance bike on the deck

Sharp turn then you wrecked

Bloody mess, ER trip

Got you a popsicle stick

Seems it was yesterday

Seems it was yesterday

I’ll tell you something

I’ll tell it true

Some days I barely just

Made it through

I’ll tell you something

I’ll tell it true

Some days I barely just

Made it through

You drew a crooked line

I said it looks just fine

You clapped your hands and smiled

Hindsight - you were a damn good child