I have written most of my life and in certain moments, I’ve even been pretty proficient, dare I even say….good at it, but it has always just been a mood release for me. It has been my go-to when my heart and brain were about to explode, and I had no choice but to let them flow to paper and release. Writing has saved me so many times and kept me holding onto my sanity through some of the worst and darkest moments of my life.
So here I sit on this January day in 2025 and I realize what so many parents realize at some point…..our children watch us. They pay attention and often they see the things we “think” we keep hidden. Apparently though, not only do they watch us, but in some cases they follow us and even exceed us in anything we could ever have possibly dreamed of doing. Trust me, it is a feeling that touches you so deeply that you feel it to your soul and it brings forth tears of emotion that you never thought possible.
My son Zachary in many ways has always been my mini-me. He and I have always been on a wavelength that I have never felt with anyone else other than his dad (my late husband). I guess then, it should come as no surprise that words in many ways are as important to him as they have always been to me, but I had no idea the seeds his years of watching me, were growing.
Last night Zach came to me and had me listen to a song. This is not unusual as we constantly share new music, but this song was different. This song Zachary had written. I had no idea he wrote music, nor did I know he was actively writing anything in the moment. Then he explained that he had been writing this for a very long time, but now that he has his own child and he is growing as a parent, the song had taken on a new life and new meaning for him.
I listened and I was amazed. He put his words (lyrics) through an AI generator and what his words created was literally stunning. The current “singer” on the song is an AI generated voice (Zachary plans to record it himself in the near future), but as Mom, I was filled with such emotion. I knew where those words came from. I’ve seen his battles, his pain and the things he has had to overcome to get where he is right now, and it was all there in those words. I don’t think I have ever felt what I felt in that moment.
I won’t lie, I’ve become a bit obsessed as I listen to the song and get a closer view into my son who has grown into a man, a survivor and most importantly…a dad.
I shared the song on facebook last night as the proud mom I am, and I was amazed at some of the comments. Those words….his words…did something that every writer hopes their words will do. They touched people and evoked emotion. His words made people feel deeply and that is the greatest desire of anyone who puts words to paper.
Yes, my son! He watched, he achieved and he exceeded me a thousand times over and I couldn’t be more proud.
So here it is…Catalyst by Zachary Elam copyrighted as of 1-14-25
