

The concert was dreamy - a balmy, but not face-meltingly-hot evening on Mud Island. We did have an annoying coincidence where a group of women clearly enjoying - or maybe over-enjoying - a girl's night out was seated near us at dinner. They were obnoxiously loud, each screeching over the other to be heard in the already noisy restaurant. Thankfully, our dinner was almost over, so we wrapped it up a little more quickly than we might have, and we headed on our way without them in earshot.
Until the very same women were seated directly behind us at the concert. And that over-enjoying was magnified by the heat and the beer they had grabbed on their way to their seats. 😒
Thankfully, the concert was not sold out, and we were able to surreptitiously wander a few rows back and over and into a place where all of their words and shrieks would not be assaulting our ears. We made that move just in time to hear one of my favorite Avett Brother's songs.
It's titled "Murder in the City," but don't let that lead you astray. There is richness and prose that ends up being poetry along with vulnerability all mixed in with a haunting melody. Tears streamed down my face while listening to it live. It ends with -
"Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name."
Even now, tears fill my eyes as I ponder those words. I think back to when I met John, and our last names were different. We were just people to each other - acquaintances for a long time. And yet - here we are now. We made the choice to share a name and took the profound weight that comes with that. Our love, and ultimately, God's love for us, brought us together, and we became each other's family, each other's nearest and dearest and most beloved.
Then we had children. Two beautiful girls that reflect and refract parts of us. Another beautiful girl and a wonderful boy who bear no resemblance to us physically, but they also share our name and our love. It's staggering to consider, really. We weren't family, and then we were. Because of love. Because of God.
Humility creeps in as I pause to take it all in. Some days it feels so very hard - truly. Just like any family, we witness the pinnacles and valleys of everyone's personalities. Successes and failures are on display up close. There is yelling and cheering - sometimes within the same set of moments. There is laughing and singing and dancing and crying - again, usually all wound up together somehow. I wouldn't change it.
It's our life. It's our love. The word grateful does not run deeply enough to convey my heart for the people that share my name. Especially for John, my partner in this sometimes madness. ❤️
Other favorite Avett Brother's songs, in case you are interested.