A FUTURE THAT BRIGHT - ANDREA GIBSON LYRICS

When you were born, you were for a moment, the youngest person in the entire world. No one on the planet had eyes as wide open as yours, your irises inkwells of possibility, where you believed you could dip your pen and write any story, your pupils telescopes that could see the infinity of who you might become. The first time you spotted the moon, you reached up your tiny hand and try to pinch it out of the sky, the shiniest marble you had ever seen. You wanted a future that bright. Years later, you'd learn the moon didn't make its own life. It was a gift from a son, or a mother, or a friend, or a mentor, guiding you to grow into someone you could look up to remember the tools it took to build your character. You swung the wrecking ball at the walls around your heart, you use the saw to cut away what held you back you held the tape measure and calculated the distance between where you were and where you wanted to be. But someone else secured the ladder so you could reach your tallest potential. Someone else steadied the scaffolding for your high expectations. Do you know that it's nearly impossible to go? Well, we haven't first gone in our minds, we need to be able to imagine thriving in order to thrive. As children we began to write the book of our lives. But none of us write our story alone. Other characters help mold the plot, remind us we can turn the page start a new chapter remind us to never write an ending or a beginning longs to be Do you remember, the day you almost quit? And someone insisted you add the scene where you refuse to give up on your dream. Someone added that scene for me. When I tell people I read poems for the living sounds so fantastical, they think I'm kidding, but they wouldn't if they'd seen who I'd had on my side. People like you who built that dream with me brick of hope, but brick of hope. Did you know that across the world throughout every culture every study says community is the most vital key to joy. To hit the high notes of what it means to be alive. You need a backup band you can count on living in harmony is knowing how much better we sound together. My favorite part of the song is when Gi earns a scholarship to study contemplative art. When Jaidyn graduates with a 4.0 and an A plus in heart when Angie beads beautiful bracelets and donates the profits to those experiencing homelessness when Nashara's voice becomes a megaphone speaking to racial injustice when Angel pursues a career as a biomedical engineer to create artificial organs to keep people alive. Because when you have been helped by others, it becomes your instinct to help others. You learn the secret to reaching your goals is lengthening your arms by pulling someone else up. Thank you for being people who call the cup half full, simply because you have enough to share generosity, dominoes into dignity, respect into a sky full of sons and daughters who will light the way for another generation to say we stand up for what we believe in. And we believe in each other. Now the moon points to us and says I want to shine like you

- andrea gibson