A song written for our son

A few months ago we got a text from an old friend asking us if they could give us a song.

We were confused, but we hopped on the call with him to learn more.

These friends are musicians. They spend their life devoted to the craft, committed to the art, both in writing and in playing music. In a strange series of events, they were commissioned to write a song for a man’s 5 year old son. They got the son’s name, age, and interests and went to work.

After wrapping up the song, it became clear that this commissioned work was, well, a scam. Who does this? Seriously??

These friends who had created a beautiful piece of artwork in this song, were left wondering what to do.

And then our friend Sean remembered another 5 year old who shared the same name.

Enter the song William, originally written for some fictitious person that somehow, by some stroke of divine 2020 magic, fits our 5 year old son William whose favorite color is blue, who dressed up as Spiderman for Halloween last year.

Listen to the song here.

There were a few years where Kasey and I didn’t know if we could have kids. It was a long, hard season that felt like it would go on forever. And then, somehow, our William came along at just the right time. This song sounds like it knows that story. It feels like the melody and the lyrics know that this boy William is important and on purpose, down to his favorite color and bright red hair. 

This year has been hard– an understatement at best. But what I’ve learned from that season of life, and the richness of the friendships that span over various life stages, is that there is good in the middle of the mess. This song came along in the middle of a hard season, in the middle of uncertainty– just like Will did.

Thank you, Neon West, for taking something that was at one point a scam and allow it to be something beautiful. We are forever grateful.