Imagine you could go back and tell your 17-year-old self “I’m good enough as I am.” Imagine what could’ve been one of life’s biggest failures turning into triumph.

Many moons ago as a senior in high school I was given the task of completing an exit project, where I would research poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning and one of her works and write about it. My English teacher was very vague with instructions and it left me feeling lost. So I procrastinated. Why? I started reading at a year and a half, I went to gifted and talented schools my whole life, why was this challenging? The me of today (post a late stage ADHD, Anxiety disorder diagnosis) would reach out for clarity and understanding of expectations.

But the me then who knew more than I gave her credit for, turned to music. The one constant, the one bit of clarity even when nothing else fell into place. I thought I knew the person I’d love forever and while that is not true- I did know then how profound, forgiving, patient and other worldly love was and still is.

So I wrote Love Again but never turned in my project OR the song. I just knew it wasn’t good enough. I Technically flunked high school. As a result I had to do a semesters worth of English projects in one week to graduate on time. And did.

This recording was created 2years later @ 19 years old. The first song I ever wrote recorded, vocal produced, and co produced with my brother B. Sharpe. I was good enough then. And I’m good enough now.

It takes tremendous shadow work, to reach back into the past, and soothe the pain of a younger self. That is the point of life. That is the point of love.