Showing posts with label From the Heart. Show all posts

Sunday, October 25, 2026

Do Old Houses Remember Us? The Stories Hidden In 100 Years of Walls

The Story Behind "This 100 Year Farmhouse"

Every time I drive past an old, weathered house sitting quietly by the side of the road, my mind immediately starts to wander.

I can’t help but picture all the generations of souls who have walked through those front doors over the decades. I think about the sheer weight of life contained inside those four walls: quiet morning moments, bursts of laughter, deep love, and even the sorrow and regret that build over a century of living.

I’ve wanted to write a song about this exact idea for a very long time. I’ve always been drawn to music that explores the passing of time, especially songs that capture the vast scope of a hundred-year lifespan.

For this project, I wanted to tell the story from a unique perspective: the farmhouse itself as the living, breathing keeper of everyone's memories.

The song follows the home across its journey: watching a young couple build a life in 1920, sitting abandoned and falling into sad disrepair by 1985, and finally being lovingly renovated in 2005 to shelter a whole new family.

Part of the inspiration for this perspective actually goes back to an old Christmas cartoon called Noel that has stayed with me my whole life.

The Christmas Cartoon "Noel" tells a beautiful story from the perspective of a simple Christmas ornament watching time pass, and it has always been one of my absolute favorites. The idea of an inanimate object holding onto a family's emotional history has stuck with me over the years. In the end, this cartoon has a deeper spiritual meaning.

Why This History Feels So Personal

This sense of history and physical place hits close to home for me.

My mind often drifts back to my parents' home, the very house my father built. It isn’t quite a hundred years old yet, but it remains in our family today, packed with irreplaceable memories.

I often wonder where that house will stand a century or more from now, and I like to believe a small part of my spirit will always remain tied to that land, enduring through the changing years.

I feel that exact same profound connection right here in my current home. As the original owners, we raised our family here, filled every room with childhood memories, and built our everyday lives.

At the same time, I know we will eventually have to pass the torch to someone else. I catch myself thinking about the future families who will walk these same halls long after we are gone, and the brand-new stories these walls will collect a hundred years from today.

"Every room truly remembers what the living so easily forget." Beneath all that old wallpaper are the real human stories that stayed behind, whispering their secrets if you take a moment to listen closely.

I hope when you give "This 100 Year Farmhouse" a listen, it makes you pause and think about the walls that have sheltered your own journey, your family, and those you love.

*********

"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube: Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify: Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe: Join the Journey: Get New Songs and Stories in Your Inbox

My Website: Drageda.com

How I Put My Lyrics to Music and Create Songs - A Basic Introduction

*********

🎵 I write and produce story-driven lyrics. Vocals and music are digitally produced (I am not the singer). I digitally direct and arrange the video and recording.🎵 ©2026 DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - All Rights Reserved - Original Lyrics Authored | Sound Recording: Produced With Digital Assistance (Vocals and Instrumental) 2026. Licensed digital composition (Commercial Rights Held). The visual artwork may include AI-assisted digital elements. SOCAN Member.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Grandma Doesn't Wish To Be Young Again - A Story and a Song

Why "Grandma Doesn't Wish to Be Young Again"

Most of the lyrics I write carry a piece of my heart, and this one comes straight from my parents' lives. The opening verse of "Grandma Doesn't Wish to Be Young Again" offers a small glimpse into their story.

They took their vows in a quiet little town and spent hours just driving around together. My dad had this teasing grin that could make my mom laugh even when she was mad at him, a skill he definitely used to clear the air!

Today, my mom and dad are together again, which makes this song mean the world to me.

Before that reunion, though, I watched my mother navigate life after losing him. That experience inspired the story of a grandmother learning to live fully in a world where her husband has gone on ahead.

Mom once said to me that losing Dad was like losing half of your body. I could feel the shift. Losing Dad affected us all, but Mom, I suspect, more than anyone.

Why An Upbeat Tempo?

When people hear a song about grief and aging, they usually expect a slow, tear-jerking ballad.

But I wanted something entirely different. I went with a fast, upbeat tempo on purpose. It took many iterations to get the sound I wanted to match my words. That part was frustrating, but in the end, the final result is what I was going for.

Life doesn't stop moving just because we experience loss, and our memories of the people we love are usually vibrant and full of energy.

The driving rhythm mirrors that enduring spirit, transforming a bittersweet story into something that feels alive, moving forward, and surprisingly uplifting.

The Real Meaning Behind The Title

The title says it all: "Grandma doesn't wish to be young again."

While my mom might have liked the idea of reliving her youth, she made it clear as she got older that she had no reservations about leaving when her time came, because it meant being with my dad.

For the character in my song, turning back the clock holds no appeal. Going backward would just take her further away from where Grandpa is patiently waiting for her.

Instead of wishing for lost years, she finds comfort in her memories of him, which give her the strength to keep going each day. She even reminds her kids and grandkids not to fear getting older, seeing aging simply as a privilege.

It's just a personal reflection on love that outlasts the years, and I'm so glad I could share the story behind it with you all on the blog today. Perhaps you'll find your family in these words.

Oh, I forgot to mention: the wedding photo in the main image is of my mom and dad on their wedding day.

*********

"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube: Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify: Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe: Join the Journey: Get New Songs and Stories in Your Inbox

My Website: Drageda.com

How I Put My Lyrics to Music and Create Songs - A Basic Introduction

*********

FOLLOW US ON:

Saturday, October 3, 2026

The "Hu-gee" Mistake and Other Word Woes

- A Personal Word Review From the Heart

Confessions of an "Expert" Proofreader

I LOVE words and consider myself an expert proofreader, ever since my stint, right after college, when I worked as one for a Midwest newspaper.

I am also a very good speller; not bragging, it is just something I found came easy to me.

But there are a few certain words which somehow escape me in both spelling and proofreading. The following 'story on myself' will tell you about it.

Huge vs. Hugh

When I was in college - and a journalism major to boot - I used to use the word 'Huge' a lot in letters home to describe something. Until, in one letter, mom told me I had been misspelling it repeatedly.

Mom wrote "Hugh is a man's name - the descriptive word you are using is spelled H U G E.”

Well, I could not get my mind around it - the word now looked like it should be pronounced hu-gee. Needless to say, I never used it again. I changed my terminology to Big, Large, Gigantic -- anything except Huge!

*Note: Take into consideration that this story dates back to a time before computers, internet, cell phones and the ever-handy (and sometimes dreaded) Spellcheck! 🙂

Ellis Sargeant Smith, Sr. - A Favorite English Teacher

A high school English teacher is directly responsible for bringing out my love of words, and for teaching me to express myself through words. ESS was a stern taskmaster in class, with ~ I later discovered ~ a soft heart. After my junior year under his tutelage, I found myself ‘visiting’ him in his classroom frequently for the remainder of my high school time. We became good friends, and he taught me as much about life as about the words of English.

Upon graduation, I left for college and enrolled in journalism as a major. I began to regularly write to Mr. Smith about my classes and activities. He would write back, enclosing my current letter with ‘corrections’ in red ink in the margins. ESS never stopped teaching this student, even when she went away to college and he retired from teaching. His ‘corrections’ were as helpful as my mother’s Hugh vs. Huge correction, particularly in making me aware of the impact of my ‘way with words’.

Image of a bookshelf encased in a heart with the words "Words Have Power"

The site “ReviewThisReviews.com has a group of ‘wordsmith’ writers who daily bring you reviews with their opinions about the products they use, the books they read, the music they enjoy, and a wide variety of interesting things in many other categories. This missive has been a few shared thoughts from me in the ‘From the Heart’ category on RTR. Below is a list of other WORD stories we have brought you in the past; each one well worth reading.

And, aren’t WORDS there for us to READ, in one form or another, both funny and serious, personal, and in the form of helpful books?

In addition to being honored to be one of the contributing writers on ReviewThisReviews, I have also recently created a new page on Facebook. In addition to being a creative crafter, I am also a writer and blogger who creates and writes under the name “Wednesday Elf”. This new page is a central hub for all my writings from both Review This and from my other blog sites. Visit me at Words By Wednesday Elf for daily stories old and new.

Related Reviews:

Recycle Words to Create a Compelling Story by Coletta Teske
Express Yourself with Wooden Words by Wednesday Elf
Roget’s Words for Writers Reviewed written by Beverly Owens

Summary

Many similar stories exist beyond this page. The related "word" stories listed above offer a great starting point, and I hope my personal tales of word-woes provide some lighthearted entertainment. 🙂

*Word Woes stories by Wednesday Elf

Helpful Word Books . . .

Common Mistakes in EnglishCheck Price Teacher Appreciation Blanket – Unique Inspirational Gifts for Teachers – 60”x50” Soft Flannel Throw BlanketCheck Price Spot the mistake: 50 spelling puzzles for kids and adultsCheck Price

FOLLOW US ON:

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Had a Bad Day. Wrote a Song. - Failing With Valor

When a Bad Day Turns Into a Song

We all have those moments where life feels heavier than it should, and carrying the weight of it all pushes you right to the edge.

On the evening of September 18, 2026, I was having one of those days. My thoughts weren't constructive, and my frustration reached a point where I needed an outlet.

Instead of letting that heavy energy sit there, I channeled it into something useful. That's how the song Failing With Valor was born.

Writing it wasn't straightforward. I went through various iterations before finally landing on the right version for my lyrics.

From there, I took it into my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for further production modifications, shaping and tweaking the sound until it captured the exact mood and energy I wanted to convey.

The Split Between Inner Calm and Outer Fatigue

As I've grown older, I've noticed a shift in myself. When I was younger, my inside self and my outside self felt completely aligned.

But as life brought more challenges, my physical, outer self started to detach from my inner peace.

That widening split became the emotional core behind the pre-chorus. Even when the outside world feels chaotic, I am deeply grateful that my inner self still finds a way to hold onto calm.

Finding that inner calm doesn't mean I'm immune to stress.

It certainly doesn't mean my physical self isn't feeling the heavy exhaustion of carrying it all. As the lyrics go:

“Steadying these steps as I stumble through haze, not asking for miracles just a little less weight.”

If you've ever felt like your spirit is unshakable yet your outer self is just plain tired from fighting daily battles, please know you're not alone.

To be completely honest, I almost didn't release this track. It is deeply personal, and I usually prefer to keep my writing hopeful.

But I realized I could still be hopeful by being completely honest about how I truly feel. The truth being, I'm totally at peace on the inside - my soul is at peace; it's my outer human world that's chaotic.

I'm just looking forward to both being equal. That was my message to myself. Actually, I've been saying this to my best friend for a little too long now; inside I'm at peace, it's my outside world that feels chaotic.

I Feel This Song, and These Words Came Together As I Planned

I ultimately feel confident that I've achieved my goal with both the lyrics and the production.

How did I know? A member of my family loved it so much that they put it on continuous replay. For me, that was the ultimate tell that the raw emotion I wanted to share actually came through in this piece.

Like all of the nearly 100 songs I've recently published, this one is raw and honest (in a different way), always with a touch of hope.

Failing With Valor is now up on Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud, and it is available across all major streaming platforms.

I kind of hope you don't relate to this one! :)

P.S. I worked hard to make the video convey the lyrics exactly as I meant them to be understood. I hope you enjoy the video as well.

*********

"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube: Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify: Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe: Join the Journey: Get New Songs and Stories in Your Inbox

My Website: Drageda.com

How I Put My Lyrics to Music and Create Songs - A Basic Introduction

*********

FOLLOW US ON:

Sunday, September 6, 2026

From Living in Light to The Story of Life - A Review of Life

A Story and a Song

The Story of Life began with a poem I wrote in January 2020, originally titled Living in Light. I wrote it during a deeply personal time in my life, and I published it on my YouTube channel that same month as an inspirational video poem.

At the time, I had no idea that I would eventually return to those words and turn them into a song. But the message remained meaningful to me, and years later, I felt that the poem had more to say.

The Quiet Moment That Inspired It

The poem was inspired by a quiet moment I shared with my mother during her cancer battle. We were sitting together in a room, each of us simply occupying the same space. There was no special occasion and no grand gesture. We did not need to be doing anything in particular. We were simply together.

As I sat there with her, I became very aware of how meaningful those ordinary moments can be. Sometimes, being present with someone you love is enough. There does not always have to be a conversation or an activity. Sometimes, sharing a quiet moment can become one of the memories that stays with you the longest.

Watching my mother carry such a difficult burden also changed the way I thought about hardship. I saw a quiet strength in her that stayed with me. It made me think about the parts of ourselves that we sometimes believe have been damaged by difficult experiences. Perhaps those parts are not truly broken. Perhaps they are places where new strength can develop.

What I Began to Understand About Aging

That experience also caused me to reflect on aging and the way we change throughout our lives.

As the years pass, our physical appearance changes. We see those changes when we look in the mirror, and sometimes it can be difficult to recognize the person we once were. But I have come to believe that aging has another side that cannot be seen in a reflection.

Inside, something can become lighter.

Our experiences can give us perspective. The things we have survived can teach us. And although our bodies may grow older, our hearts can become more youthful in the way they understand love, wonder, forgiveness, and what truly matters.

A Journey Toward Home

When I think about life, I often picture it as a gentle journey through the sky. We move forward through the years, gradually drifting closer to home.

Along that journey, new lives are beginning. I imagine us passing close to newborns as they enter the world, almost as though the journey connects those leaving one chapter with those just beginning theirs.

There is something beautiful about imagining that the light we have gathered during our lives does not simply disappear. We pass something of ourselves forward. The love we have given, the lessons we have learned, and the light we have carried can continue through others.

Our light does not have to become smaller as our journey progresses. It can become part of something much greater.

Learning to Trust Our Wings

The poem also became a reflection on letting go.

Life teaches us that we cannot hold on to everything forever. Sometimes we have to loosen our grip, trust ourselves, and trust where the journey is taking us.

Pain and tears can change us. They can become part of how we understand ourselves and the world around us. The difficult experiences we would never have chosen can still leave us with something meaningful.

For me, living in the light represents a new beginning. It reminds us that life continues to move forward, and that love has a way of continuing with it.

Turning the Poem Into a Song

Years after writing Living in Light, I decided to transform the poem into a song.

I wanted to preserve the heart of what I had written in 2020, so I worked from the original words and reshaped them into a musical structure. I developed the verses, pre-choruses, choruses, a new verse, a bridge, and an outro, allowing the original poem to take on a completely new form.

The result became The Story of Life.

The song carries the same message that inspired the poem, but it also reflects the years that have passed since I first wrote those words. What began as a quiet moment beside my mother eventually became a much larger reflection on life, aging, love, resilience, loss, and the journey we all take.

Remembering the Original Living in Light

Some may remember this work in its original form, Living in Light. I wrote that inspirational poem in January 2020 and published it on my YouTube channel that same month as a video poem.

The Story of Life is the evolution of those original words. I returned to something I had written during one of the most meaningful quiet moments of my life and gave it a new form through music.

At its heart, the message remains the same. Love continues. Light continues. And when we have truly loved, we have truly lived.

*********

"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube: Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify: Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe: Join the Journey: Get New Songs and Stories in Your Inbox

*********

FOLLOW US ON:

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Mom's Pickles and Beets - Remembering Mom With a Story and a Song

As autumn returns and the cooler weather settles in, my mother has been on my mind every day.

When the seasons change, my parents come front and center in my thoughts, bringing back all the things I miss about growing up.

Fall always reminds me of my mom preparing homemade pickles and beets, filling the cellar and freezer up with homemade goodies.

To honor my late mother, I decided to write her this song called Mom's Pickles and Beets. Below, you will find the story of me as a fifteen-year-old girl back in September 1975. I hope you enjoy the story below and the related song.

A Page from My Life in 1975:

September 1975 brought that familiar, sharp chill to the air, signaling the start of a brand new season. I was fifteen years old and it was all in front of me.
For me, autumn was always the absolute best time of the year, filled with the return of school routines, skating lessons, and the comforting sense that September offered a fresh start.
Coming home at the end of the day meant stepping through the front door into a warm haven. The kitchen always smelled richly of spices and a pot of homemade soup simmering steadily on the stove.
Countertops would be lined with rows of freshly packed mason jars filled with homemade pickles and beets. My usual routine was to head straight for the living room fireplace to warm my hands, just as Mom would call out from the kitchen, asking me to head down to the basement to handle the laundry basket and grab a container of fudge on the way back up.
Mornings didn't always run smoothly, of course. There were frantic days when sleep got the better of me, and I had to scramble, racing into the kitchen to plead, "Mom, can you drive me? I'm going to be late!"
With a familiar roll of her eyes and a quick, resigned nod, she would agree, usually adding with a knowing smile, "You know, I won't always be here to fix every mess."
More than five decades have slipped away since those days. Yet every time the autumn leaves begin to turn, those memories return just as vividly as ever.
The scent of her cooking, the quiet warmth of those evenings, and the lasting comfort of her presence remain woven into every part of who I am today. I miss my mother.

************

What memories do fall and the changing seasons bring back for you?

*********

"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube: Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify: Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe: Join the Journey: Get New Songs and Stories in Your Inbox

*********

FOLLOW US ON:

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Borrow My Eyes - A Love Story and A Song

Borrow My Eyes, A Love Story

He sometimes watches her go about her day and wonders if she has any idea how much of herself she gives to the world around her.

She is naturally giving, not because she has forgotten herself or believes everyone else should come first, but because kindness is simply part of who she is. She knows who she is. She takes care of herself, yet when she moves through life, she sees beyond her own needs. In the smallest decisions and ordinary moments, she thinks of others. She notices what people need. She does what she can. Often without fanfare. Often without anyone realizing how much thought she has put into the simplest things.

And he loves her for all of it.

When they first met, she saw something in him, too.

She could see beyond the person standing in front of her. She sensed the road he had traveled and the pain he had carried. She didn't try to rescue him. She didn't sacrifice herself for him or make his wounds her responsibility. She simply understood that someone who had traveled such a difficult road might need a little more tenderness, a little more patience, and a little extra loving care.

So she gave it freely, simply because that was who she was.

And slowly, without either of them fully realizing it, she became the place he had been searching for his entire life.

Home.

Not just a house. Not just a person he loved. But a feeling he had never truly known before. When he looks at her, he sees quiet after the noise. He sees safety after uncertainty. He sees somewhere he belongs. He sees a life where he can finally exhale.

His life before her had not been easy. He had known pain, carried scars, and traveled through experiences that changed him. But it is never lost on him that, without her, he might never have understood love the way he understands it now.

That is why he wishes he could lend her his eyes.

Just for an hour.

He wishes she could see the woman he sees, the kindness she doesn't always notice in herself, the beauty that goes far deeper than what can be seen, and all the quiet things she does that make his life better. He wishes she could understand that when he looks at her, he doesn't just see the woman he loves.

He sees his fairytale hero.

He sees the person who helped heal wounds she didn't create. The person who erased pain simply by loving him with patience and sincerity. The person who saw his truth and accepted him without asking him to become someone else.

Most of all, he sees home.

And so, through this song, he gives her the only gift he knows she truly needs to understand his heart:

His eyes.

Because if she could see herself the way he sees her, she would finally understand the depth of his love.

"Borrow My Eyes" is his thank you to the woman who gave him more than love; she gave him a place in this world where he finally feels he belongs.

*********

"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube: Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify: Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe: Join the Journey: Get New Songs and Stories in Your Inbox

*********

FOLLOW US ON:

Sunday, August 16, 2026

She Used To Be Brave - A Story and a Song

She Used To Be Brave

She didn't want to move forward.

But she didn't want to go back either.

And staying exactly where she was felt impossible.

For the first time in her life, she found herself standing somewhere she couldn't explain, a place between decisions, between certainty and doubt, between the person she had been and the person she might become. It was a liminal space, though she didn't have a name for it at first.

She only knew she was there.

And somehow, the fact that she couldn't figure out why, bothered her more than the place itself.

The Woman Who Thought She Knew Herself

She had spent most of her life believing she had clarity. She made decisions. She moved forward. She faced things. She had always thought of herself as brave.

Or at least, she used to be.

So why was she standing here now, unable to take the next step?

She wished someone would simply tell her what to do. Just one person. One voice. Someone who could see what she couldn't.

Someone who might reach for her hand and say, Here. This is the way. Step through this door.

But no one came.

And perhaps that was the hardest part.

She began questioning everything.

Was she afraid?

Was she protecting herself?

Had she spent years protecting everyone else, convincing herself that was courage?

Maybe she had been confused for a very long time without realizing it. Maybe she had been lost without knowing she was lost.

That thought frightened her.

Because if she had been wrong about being lost, what else had she misunderstood about herself?

She had always known one thing for certain: she was hopeful.

Hope had carried her through difficult days. Hope had given her reasons to keep going when she couldn't see what was waiting ahead.

But now even that certainty began to trouble her.

Could Hope Be Keeping Her There?

She wondered if hope could become another kind of hiding.

Perhaps she had been holding onto hope so tightly that she had forgotten to reach for anything else.

Hope that something would change.

Hope that someone would appear.

Hope that eventually, the right door would simply open.

But what if it never did?

What if she had to choose one?

Forward or backward.

Stay or leave.

Fear or courage.

The questions circled endlessly through her mind, and still she couldn't find an answer.

Then she realized something she hadn't considered before.

Maybe being brave had never meant knowing exactly where to go.

Maybe bravery wasn't certainty.

Maybe it was standing in the middle of uncertainty and taking one step anyway.

She looked ahead.

Nothing had changed. The doors were still there. The path was still unclear.

No one had come to take her hand.

But for the first time, she didn't wait for someone to show her the way.

She took a breath.

And stepped toward the door.

Not because she knew what was on the other side.

But because she finally understood that she didn't have to know.

Perhaps that was the courage she had been searching for all along.

The courage to move without answers.

The courage to become someone new.

The courage to remember the woman she used to be and finally discover the woman she could still become.

*********

"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube: Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify: Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe: Join the Journey: Get New Songs and Stories in Your Inbox

*********

FOLLOW US ON:

Sunday, July 26, 2026

Finding Your Footing When the Storms of Life Roll In

The Weight of the Currents We Navigate

Life has a way of testing our endurance when we least expect it. Writing Breathing Underwater came from a place of recognizing that heavy, overwhelming feeling when the challenges of daily life start pulling you under. We all face our own storms, and the chorus speaks directly to that shared human experience. Life is rarely perfect, and in one way or another, we are all in the same boat trying to stay afloat.

Instead of focusing purely on distress, this track explores what happens when you stop the frantic struggle against the current. It is about discovering a quiet, unexpected capacity to endure simply by pausing the fight and finding your footing again.

Designing a Safe Harbor Through Sound

Finding the exact musical tone to bring these words to life proved to be the most challenging part of the entire process. Crafting a soundscape from scratch takes time and a lot of patience.

For this piece, the vision was very specific. The goal was to avoid adding extra heaviness to a world that already carries plenty of it. To achieve that balance, I intentionally created a softer, easy-listening musical vibe that acts as the opposite of the words. That juxtaposition was completely deliberate, designed to honor genuine exhaustion with deep empathy while offering a soothing atmosphere that points toward a clear, empowering sky above.

Finding Calm Amidst the Storms

At its core, this song serves as a reminder for anyone going through hard days that even when you feel deep in the middle of a struggle, you possess the inner resolve to rise again and realize there is nothing to fear.

Thank you for taking the time to read and listen. I hope this piece brings you a measure of calm amidst whatever storms you might be facing right now.

*********

"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube: Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify: Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe: Join the Journey: Get New Songs and Stories in Your Inbox

*********

**I write and produce story-driven lyrics. ** ** Vocals and music are digitally produced (I am not the singer). I digitally direct and arrange the video and recording. ©2026 DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - All Rights Reserved. Licensed Digital Composition (Commercial Rights Held). I wrote, created, and produced this piece on June 21st, 2026 - Member of SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada)**

FOLLOW US ON:

Sunday, July 19, 2026

The Life I Built From Broken Things - A Song Review

When You're Done Trying to Put Your Name in the Sand

Have you ever had one of those days, or years, where it felt like you were trying to write your name in the sand while the tide was coming in at full speed?

You keep smoothing it out, trying to make it stay, but the water just wipes it away again and again.

Although I'm a positive person, I do feel this way at times. I spent a long time thinking that if I could keep everything neat and predictable, I was winning. Not anymore. Life has a way of showing us that some things are out of our control.

I poured these thoughts into a new song called "The Life I Built From Broken Things". It has become my own little anthem, and I wanted to share it with you because we all need the reminder that we are tougher than we give ourselves credit for.

Building Something Real When You Are in a Crunch

When things fall apart, our first instinct is often to worry. We look at the mess and think, "Well, that is it. I am done." I have been there. You look at your life and see the broken floorboards and the leaks, and you feel like the whole thing is coming down.

But we don't have to fix the whole house in a single day. Recovery is often quiet and slow. It is just one band-aid at a time, as I wrote in the song. It's deciding that even though the floor has holes in it, we will still sweep up the sand. There's something beautiful about building a life out of our broken things.

It means the foundation is not just some perfect, sterile thing. It is made of experience. It is made of the times we fell down and got back up anyway.

Why a Little Stubbornness Is Actually a Good Thing

If anyone tells you that you are being too stubborn, take it as a compliment. There is a specific kind of stubbornness that I think is a superpower. It is that quiet, deep-down refusal to let the storm win.

In my song, I wrote, "I'm just too stubborn to know how to fail." People might look at your life and see the rain or the struggle. But they don't see the work you are doing when you hide your wings. They can't see the way you are reinforcing the walls in the dark, preparing for the moment you're ready to fly again.

I've learned that the one thing nobody can take away from me is me.

You're the only person who can decide when you're done. If you haven't decided you're done, then you're not failing. You're still in the middle of the project.

We Don't Have to Be Perfect to Be Strong

It is perfectly okay to have weak days. We're human. It's going to happen. We don't have to be a superhero every single day. It's okay to be tired or frustrated. It's only part of your story, not the whole story.

I believe that every tiny, incremental inch we move forward counts. Even if it is just one nail you hammer in, it's progress. The life you are building might look different than the one you started with, but it is yours.

Thanks for letting me share this with you. I hope that if you are going through a storm right now, these words give you a little bit of shelter. You've got this.

*********

"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube: Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify: Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe For A Free Short Guide on How to Convert Your Poems Into Lyrics

*********

**I write and produce story-driven lyrics. ** ** ** ** Vocals and music are digitally produced (I am not the singer). I digitally direct and arrange the video and recording. ©2026 DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - All Rights Reserved. Licensed Digital Composition (Commercial Rights Held). I wrote, created, and produced this piece on June 21st, 2026 - Member of SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada)**

FOLLOW US ON: