In my own grief, I knew in those first days that a new song was rising inside of me. It is a song rooted in gratitude, in love, in life…remembering those who have come before…celebrating with humility how their lives live on in each of us…and together in our own families and communities, love carries on. For me, writing the song was an important piece of my own grief journey remembering my aunt and uncle. What I didn't realize when I wrote the song was what a powerful experience it would be to share the song with others. I have been so overwhelmed with the privilege of hearing so many of your own stories of grief, and love, and gratitude for your own ancestors. I feel like our culture struggles with its relationship with death and how we honor our ancestors. I hope this song (and video) continue to be an invitation for all of us to remember with humility, gratitude, and celebration the lives of those who have come before…and how those spirits live on in each of us.
So many thanks to the many, many people who contributed to this project. What a tremendous honor to be an artist amidst such tremendous community. You all inspire me so deeply. Special thanks to my dear cousins Ken and Kate Miller Rieman, Cheri Rieman, and Tina Rieman; my beautiful soul brother bandmates for this performance Seth Hendricks, Nome McBride, and Justin Peterson; my incredibly talented studio band Brennan Andes, Griffin Bastian, Jesse Clayton, Randall Moore, Jacob Jolliff, and Michael Anne Erlewine; and my wonderful video collaborator Chris Stover-Brown. I love you all so much.