"Secrets" by Elena Goodrow

I have always had the hardest time keeping secrets, even good ones. Surprises are so much fun, I always love getting surprised but being the one surprising someone? Absolutely not. I can’t bear the feeling of keeping something from someone I love. I am a very open person when it comes to being vulnerable to those I am close to, the feeling of holding back communication goes against who I am. That being said, sometimes it’s so worth it to put together a surprise to show people that you’re thinking about them.

Back in August I was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota spending time with the people I love so dearly. I was celebrating my friendship with Ashley and focusing on how much she means to me, while helping her put on an incredible event. On my last day there, I got an email from someone in the Breathe Bravely community. This email proposed that we all come together to surprise Ashley with videos or music to bring her some joy during a time when the chaos of life seems relentless. Of course I responded saying YES. I loved the idea of the community coming together to support Ashley when she does so much to support us every single day. Ashley brought us all together, the least we can do is strengthen that togetherness for her. As the weeks went on my inbox was consistently full of ideas from the community, the excitement was growing. We ended up splitting off into small groups or individually to create multiple projects to help put a smile on Ashley’s face. I deeply connected with a beautiful idea my friend Amber brought to the table, and Michelle (who I had just met in South Dakota!) was also all in. So the three of us got to work.

Pictured below is me, Ashley, and Michelle in Sioux Falls this summer.

Amber reimagined the lyrics to a song that she knew was meaningful to Ashley, she rewrote the lyrics to apply more to the things that bring joy in Ashley's life. So naturally, the dogs are included. I was in awe over Amber’s creativity and was so excited to bring this to life! I volunteered to edit this project and put it all together since I have access to that kind of software, and Michelle lent her lovely voice to make it all come together. 

This was a surprise worth doing, Ashley deserves the world and I am so honored to be a part of such a loving community. I definitely had to bite my tongue around Ashley once or twice, but I knew it was going to be such a gift to surprise her with our reimagined song. Plus, the timing happened to line up with the Breathe Bravely Marathon of Song event. The fact that this was able to also be our contribution to the event was perfect! Secrets may be difficult at times, but during this process I was reminded of how rewarding they can be. 

Above is a screenshot from our video, but you can check out our final video on the Breathe Bravely Facebook page for Marathon of Song on Sunday October 20th!