I’ve become a fan of Ben Rector. My second son, who is into electronic / dance music, actually shared his music with me. He said I would like it. He was right. Ben Rector has a song, “Like The World Is Going To End,” that has gotten me thinking. Well actually, it is a few lines from that song that got me thinking.
This idea runs through the song until in the last verse he sings that he would bring everyone he loved to California so everyone could say the things they were scared to say till then.
What really got me thinking was the idea that they wouldn’t be sharing secrets or past hurts, but speaking honestly about their love for each other. How scary is that?
How hard is it for us to tell someone how much you truly love them? Now, I am not diminishing the power of saying “I love you” to family and friends. I’m talking about expressing our emotions openly to someone. That is hard for a few reasons. First because we have to remove all our defenses to that person. Our heart is out in the open and it bruises easily. Second, even for me, sometimes we just can’t find the words… or the words we have don’t even come close to revealing the depth of our feelings. Even as a poet, I can not tell my wife how beautiful she is when she smiles as she plays or interacts with our children. Or explain to my little girls the rush I get when they run to hug me when I get home.
Back to the song. Back to the idea that Ben Rector is sharing in the song. We should be telling our family and friends how much they mean to us, how much we love them. We should do this more than we do. No matter how hard it is. How scared we are to open up. Because I love how he ends the line, “till then.” In the song he is referencing the idea that the world is going to end. But I feel that he is also hinting at that once you decide to share your love with others you’ll wonder why you waited.
I hope you have some hard conversations today because
“Now that I think about it. Maybe we should always live like the world is gonna end.”
-Ben Rector
It is all Connected 
That is a great song! Ben reminds me vocally of Chris Martin from Coldplay. You are right, it is all about having that hard conversation with our loved ones because you never know when you won’t get that chance. Thanks for this very inspirational blog!
Yes, I can see the comparison. For me personally, I need to communicate with my teens those deep emotions. They are so busy, some days I only see them for an hour. I know it is important for me to stay connected with them as they navigate this world. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Yes, your children will thank you for taking the time to stay connected & involved. Interaction becomes very critical during the teen years.