Mood Monday
I am actively seeking the beauty in the chaos and difficult tribulations of life….
Tragedy happens…life can totally suck sometimes. But what happens next is worth waiting for, right? Think about any awful, hurtful, damaging moment in your life and I am pretty sure after a time (short or seemingly forever), it settles and perhaps opens you up into something quite different, perhaps special and amazing.
A maturation, a change, a growth.
I know that has been the case for most of my horrific moments….there is a crack of sunshine that shows itself after the darkest days of pain. It may take awhile, but it is worth the wait.
Chaos can potentially turn into a magical moment in your life where you are meant to move forward, change, and possibly grow.
What do you do in that horrible moment of chaos? Do you close your eyes and pretend it isn’t there? Do you plan a strategic path to clear through the chaos? Or do you sit with it, recognize it’s ugly head and contemplate and meditate what choices you have to get through the awful muck? Or do you throw your hands up and quit?
The challenge is real and the choices are difficult. I admit to having chosen each of those in my lifetime with some rough consequences. Today, looking at my thick history with chaos, I lean more toward choosing to wait, meditate, and thoughtfully proceed.
This is a case in point for this talented band, Cereus Bright.
Touring, working, and playing their music to larger and larger audiences, they came home to discover their home and rehearsal space was burglarized and burned down beyond repair. Harsh news, a definite setback in the path of creating and living their fullest musical life, this video is how they reacted. They responded with thankfulness and appreciation for their fans, loved ones, and friends.
It made me stop and take notice.
Cereus Bright-Silver Lining
Cereus Bright is a lovely flowering cactus that blooms in the dark of night, and sometimes only once a year. Special, mysterious, and unpredictable, the flower’s name and it’s identity is the clever name for a band from Knoxville, Tennessee. After simply following me on Twitter, I immediately became curious about their name. A random search produced the most lovely connection. Serendipitously, this odd and totally random connection helped me to see the light in what could be an extremely worrisome dark moment in my life.
A cool name is one thing, creating powerful ‘stop and take notice’ music is quite another.
I have listened to their thoughtful song, “Silver Lining” on repeat. It is soothing, soft, and rounds the sharpest edges of my life with the vocals, the words, and the sweeping hopeful strings. It reminds me to continue to stick around for those that may need my strength and makes me thankful for those that stick around when I am at my weakest.
Cereus Bright began with two young folk musicians, Tyler Anthony and Evan Ford and has since grown to be this harmonious, colorful five piece with the addition of Matt Nelson, Luke Bowers, and Jake Smith. I am in awe of their talent because I can’t remember an album that wove such a connected story so neatly, yet each song could stand out all alone. They are their own sound and honestly shouldn’t be compared, but I listen to their vocals and recall the melodies and the poetic, thoughtful lyrics of the Avett Brothers.
Hopeful and pleasing, Cereus Bright puts out incredible folk music that captures the listener on so many levels. From thoughtful experience, mysterious curious questioning, and honesty, each song from their latest album, Excuses, is a powerful testimony of a band that deserves appreciation and recognition.
Today, I am trusting in the beauty of the oddly unusual flower that blooms randomly and without warning. I wish for a similar miraculous occurrence for anyone hurting, struggling, or praying for a life affirming bloom….the silver lining.
Muddle through the tough, pay close attention, wait patiently and then seek out the beautiful with vigor. It is there waiting to be discovered.
