"there is an irony to the idea that isolation is what i’ve found myself in for the last several weeks. unlike many others, isolation with my family wasn’t an option. as a member of management in the food service industry, i’ve continued to work and continually be in contact with the general public. while isolation at home has been a goal, it isn’t always my reality. Being in this type of environment leads oneself to a variety of different feelings and emotions. i have cycled through many as i have deeply valued my time at home with my family while also knowing i will have to leave them frequently in order to continue to provide for them. questions abound and uncertainties multiply.

is this a chance to rethink things? is this a chance to recalibrate and refocus?

while this situation has created a setting unlike any we have faced in our lives before, i find it does bring to light the truth about what matters the most. faith and family have been pivotal to me at this time. each day brings a new set of possibilities. will i squander them on worry and fear? will i fixate on hope and peace? will i allow myself to be cautious without being crazy? am i overthinking things? do i truly believe the things i say i do?

i’ve had good days and i’ve had bad days. for me i am just taking them one at a time and processing everything the best i can as i move my family through all of this. the fact that i have a wife and two small children who need me to be strong for them can sometimes be a daunting task but it is one that i must commit to fully if i am to come out of this a better husband, a better father, and a better man.

this piece, “the peace you are looking for”, was quickly assembled over the past few days. one initial thought that was included in the work is a small reference to the hymn “it is well with my soul” that i was reminded of just a few days prior. the hymn has always resonated well with me but it wasn’t until this time that i researched the origin of the lyrics. take a second or two and look it up and let the weight of the words really sink in. with that in mind i felt as if it was a proper conclusion to the work that i was crafting. while instrumental music is obviously open to interpretation, my mindset with this particular arrangement is one that begins in a place that feels a bit more bleak and hopeless and moves into a space that becomes more reassuring and up lifting. the conclusion of this being the nod to the previously mentioned hymn which enforces that idea of being ok with whatever happens. i hope that these sounds bring you some peace and comfort.

while many are isolated physically, we are united as the human race and together we will get through this. the question that keeps coming to my mind is what will change about us personally when this is over? will we see life differently? will we make better decisions? will we take more time to slow down and really see life for what it is? i pray that in the midst of all of this, that we emerge better people. personally, my faith has been the central theme that myself and my family have clung to throughout this ordeal. for this i am eternally grateful and overwhelmingly humbled.

whether i know you well or perhaps not at all, i wish you the best at this time and hope that you find the music presented here to be a small escape for your mind."