How Fragile We Are

Anthony Evans is one of my favorite artist. Sometime in early January 2021, I decided to listen through his top songs on Apple Music. The jazziness, melody, live instruments (or whatever you call the ones that aren’t imitated from a keyboard), mood, and soothing voice on Fragile by Keith Felch, featuring Anthony Evan caught my attention to the point that I may have listened to it one hundred times since then.

Listen here: Fragile (feat. Anthony Evans) – YouTube Music (that’s not Robben Ford…)

Have you ever heard a song numerous time only to realize that you don’t know what it’s really saying? Well, that was me so I focused on the lyrics for a bit. I still can’t make out every word. That’s alright because with art (as well as reading the Bible), our perception of it or the message it convey may vary based upon our present circumstances and past experiences. Please tell me your interpretation of the song if you listen to it!

Anyway, the timing and tone between the verses was perfect for reflection. Based on my interpretation of Fragile, it portrays we can be injured and healed physically but the memories will remain of the hurt occurring. That is, it still effects us mentally and throughout our life.

Many injuries aren’t even visible, let’s call that mental illness, emotional abuse, trauma, etc. Something can not simply happen to us, we react to to, then it is over. Something get’s altered like the way we think and/or the things we do, whether for the good, or bad.

On and on, the rain will fall, like tears from a star, like tears from a star. On and on, the rain will say, how fragile we are, how fragile we are.

-Anthony evans

Another thing about the “invisible” injuries is that we don’t seem so quick to get them taken care of. We would go to the doctor if we had headaches regularly that weren’t relieved by over the counter medications. We would rush to the E.R if a band aid couldn’t stop a cut from bleeding. We would schedule a dentist appointment for a toothache, even if the pain has to radiate from the back of our head to our neck first (why did I let it get that bad?).

Our mind, feelings, and spirit are fragile as well. We can receive 100 compliments and one complaint will ruin our day. One hundred people can say they are coming to your party and all but five show up then you dwell on their absence instead of being present with the attendees.

Your father may have left you and now you don’t know what to look for in a man, ladies, or how to be one, fellas. Someone can take advantage of us and we decide never to trust again. You may have cried out as a baby and no one comforted you, then your issues as a child weren’t considered valid, then you were deemed a horrible teenager because being outspoken was categorized as disrespect and somehow you never found your voice again.

Those things create injuries that accumulate. Metaphorically, what seems to just be a drizzle (little hurts) with occasional storms (big hurts), form devastating floods if they aren’t stopped from being rehearsed in our minds.

We are fragile. We are easily broken. We are delicate. We are delicate. When is the last time you took time to acknowledge these things about yourself and govern yourself accordingly? For example, sometimes we have to have those tough conversations, seek counseling, seek therapy, leave that relationship, journal, meditate, forgive, take a break from being the strong friend, get a message.

We are broken when we have needs that we don’t express because we don’t expect them to be met. We are broken when we use sex, drugs, alcohol, cutting, and even good things like food, television, and success, as a substitute for subduing our fears, or finding the right person/professional to work with for rehabilitation.

To be continued…