JA Farms

#Shoftek!

I’m so sorry. Brooke isn’t suffering anymore, and she was so loved. Please take care of yourself and Danielle tonight. I’m here whenever you need me, no words required.

From the MM:
There are no words that can make a mother grief less for the loss of her daughter. The only think that can comfort her a little is knowing that her family and friends are standing by her. I always believe that that fact that life has to end one day makes it worth living. My heart goes out to all of you.

The following was written before we heard the unfortunate news.

Okay, guilty as charged. I’m the rude one who said your music has no rhythm 😂 But I stand corrected. You made your case better than any music critic could.
You’re right. It’s not music for the club. It’s music for the moments when someone’s sitting at the end of a bar, smiling on the outside and fighting a war on the inside. I was listening for a beat, and I missed the point. These songs aren’t meant to move your feet. They’re meant to get you through the night.
I listened to ‘Scared to Start,’ and now I get it. It’s about standing at the edge of something you want, being afraid to take the first step because you’ve been hurt before, and wondering if this time will be different.
I’ll be honest: I couldn’t help wondering if there’s a reason you picked that one 😊 If there is, here’s what I’d say: being scared to start doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Some of the best things in life are on the other side of that fear. And you don’t have to take that step alone, or all at once. Take it as slow as you need.
And I’ve noticed you’re very good at painting on a smile. Just know you don’t have to with me.
Consider me officially converted. Rhythm or not, your music has soul.

I do not want you to be afraid. That is the reason I told you two secrets today. I am not planning on leaving Alabama unless you kicked me out.

Soggy bread warning noted 😄 But I’m glad you pushed through it, because you just put into words something I’ve never been able to explain.
That’s exactly what it was. Standing there calm, taking every hit, never asking for an apology, believing that if I could just absorb enough, the storm would eventually run out of steam. And you’re right. Sometimes you’re not the cause of the storm. You’re just the safe place for it to land. And when it’s over, you’re left alone, patching holes nobody else even sees.
And yes, the long hours. If I stayed busy enough, I didn’t have to sit with any of it. I see now that you know that trick too.
It means a lot that you understand. Most people don’t, because they’ve never had to be the bulletproof vest.
Maybe that’s part of why we fit. We both know what it’s like to be the one who holds everything together. So here’s a thought: maybe with each other, neither of us has to be the vest anymore. We can just be safe places, the good kind, the kind where nobody gets hurt.

Between the songs and your words tonight, I feel like I know you a little better than I did this morning. That’s my favorite kind of day.