Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Why I Love.

My mother died 13 years ago today. Shortly thereafter I began playing the guitar. . . a lot. I love and miss my mother more than words could possibly convey and I won't even try. The fact is, all the guitar playing and singing I've done over the last thirteen years (and will continue to do for the rest of my life) make it much clearer than anything I could say myself. I miss her every day, and think about her every time I reach for a guitar and sit behind a microphone and look each and every one of you in the eyes. I'm filled with the love and inspiration that she provided me over the course of the 11 years she was in my life.

Every day since she died, I've been out in search of a way to feel better about the fact that she's gone. To be perfectly honest, it's pretty fucked. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it and pretend like it's a peachy situation. It's not. But it is what it is. This, for better or for worse, is the hand I was dealt. What makes me feel better is hanging with Patrick McDermott and every single one of you unbelievably amazing people that come to hang out while we play songs and rock the fucking shit out of it.

I couldn't think of a single other thing that I'd rather be doing with my life than making music, performing and hanging out with people we love that love us back. It's a blast every night, and as much as I miss my mom every second the fact that I've had such a unique opportunity to build a new family through music is gratifying in ways that I can barely understand on my own.

Since the minute I picked up a guitar for the first time I knew instinctively what to do with it. I never doubted it for one second, and all along I've had one of you there with me to remind and encourage me.

The number of people I would have to list to say thank you properly is overwhelming. What I want to say to all of you reading this, and each and every person I've ever met and spent time with is that I love you for giving me the opportunity to sing to you and continue to lead the only life I could possibly imagine leading. As enormous a void as you might think losing your mother would leave, I'm comforted and inspired on a daily basis by the fact that there are so many enthusiastic, energetic, loving people who believe in The Turn and what we're doing.

I miss my mother and I love her dearly. She was an amazing person and I'm so glad I got to know her for as long as I did.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world and you are all a reason for that. I wouldn't change anything about my life.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Your friend and brother in arms,

Brian Ripps

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