Songs & Stories: Keeps Me Safe

Since finishing grad school last spring, I've had more spare time and find myself returning to a major love of mine: music. Writing songs allows me to express and process my life and the world in a way that compares with nothing else. As I rekindle my passion for music, I want to share my songs and the stories behind them.

Today we live in a world that feels deeply unpredictable. We get caught up in the minute details of life and spend much of our time focusing on productivity. When faced with the unexpected, we reach for something to hold onto. 

On the tail-end of summer 2015, Daniel and I went camping at Rimrock Lake outside Naches, Washington with our friends Katie and Justin. The trip was planned months in advance and the weather had been seasonably beautiful. On the day we were to leave, we woke up to high winds. In fact, as Daniel and I walked out of Walmart with grocery bags full of camping supplies, our styrofoam cooler lifted out of the cart and flew back into the store!

We figured the winds would die down as we traveled North, but they only picked up. We spent the evening hunkered down in the trailer, playing games and laughing at stories. As it got late we settled into bed. Our mattresses lay on the pop-out part of the tent which extends out over the side of the trailer. I fell asleep easily, happy and tired.

Not much later I awoke suddenly, heart pounding, thinking I was in an earthquake. In the dark I felt the ground shaking and roaring sounds all around. As my brain caught up to my body I realized it was just the wind pummeling the tent. I managed to get back to sleep, but despite the fact that I had rationalized the high winds, and knew I was protected inside the tent-trailer, I continued to repeatedly wake up with heightened senses. 

As I lay awake, I thought about how we were warmly cocooned inside our camp while the outside world was a chaos of rain and wind. Had I been alone, I likely would have remained fearful. But the presence of my husband and trusted friends reassured me that we were safe, and I could trust them if danger appeared. 

Our world is unpredictable. We do not know what challenges we will be faced with, when comfortable civility will turn into terror, or what catastrophes may pass through, whether natural or interpersonal. We can only surround ourselves with those who will weather the storm with us and keep us safe, and hold onto what will remain steady despite the wind.

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The wind is howling, it feels like the world is crashing down

As I wake suddenly and feel a panic all around 

I search for silence, but the storm is ringing in my ears

Nothing but chaos then I find that you are near 

And I hold tight to the one who keeps me safe

Through the thundering gusts we will embrace whatever whirlwind we are in

I know that we can make it through

Because you're holding onto me, and I'm holding onto you 

There's a calm in the storm, then here comes the break

But we've been through this before, we know what we can take

I've sheltered myself with the ones that I can trust

I turn my eyes to you, and find solace is mine 

And I hold tight to the one who keeps me safe

Through the thundering gusts we will embrace whatever whirlwind we are in

I know that we can make it through

Because you're holding onto me, and I'm holding onto you 

The history we have together, nothing can compare

The story that we wrote will weather any storm we'll share

I trust you to protect me, I trust you to know my heart

I trust that we will make it as we lie here in the dark 

And I hold tight to the one who keeps me safe

Through the thundering gusts we will embrace whatever whirlwind we are in

I know that we can make it through

Because you're holding onto me, and I'm holding onto you 

I trust you to protect me, I trust you to know my heart

I trust that we will make it as we lie here in the dark