The weight of a gift.

For years, I’ve taught music. Not just taught—but invested in people.

Teaching has always been a part of my life, one way or another.

For the last five years, Music Garage has been that place for me.It has been a great labor of love.

It lifted us out of a tight spot.It gave way to relationships and shaped who I am—as a leader, a husband, a friend, and a believer.

It has also been the single hardest thing I’ve ever endeavored to grow.

It has caused sleepless nights, long hours, countless missed moments, and moments of despair. It has been a source of stability. It has been a source of loneliness.It has been the exact opposite of both of those things.

We started with less than nothing.We built. We lost it all in a fire.Then… we rebuilt again.

The odds of that—especially for a business as young as ours—were not in our favor. We are a statistical anomaly.

And I am proud. Proud of where we’ve come from. Proud of where we’re going.

But I’d be lying if I told you I’m filled with joy and wonder at what’s ahead.

The truth is: this has been one of the hardest seasons of my life. The refining has been painful… and necessary.

I have never felt so sure and so unsure at the same time.Yet here I am.

The weight of this tag around my neck is heavy. Heavy because I care so deeply about those in my charge. Heavy because I give everything I have to make every moment count. And heavy because of the grind.

Hard things are hard. Consistency is hard. Being the best version of yourself in thirty-minute increments—fifteen times in a single day—is hard.

Ask any private instructor. It’s hard.

And what’s harder still is doing that while leading others, while working through shortcomings on both sides. It is exhausting.

So as I sit here now, I am tired. Filled with questions. But also with reassurance.

This is what hard feels like. I’ve felt it before.

And no matter what lies ahead, this truth remains: The gift of being an instructor is just that—a gift.

I get to be part of people’s lives in ways few ever experience: moments of vulnerability, honesty, struggle, tears, laughter, and everything in between.

Yes, it has been heavy. This beautiful, massive animal that Music Garage has grown into is frustrating. It is taxing. But it is not a weight.

It is a privilege.

Because people need a place to be known, to be seen, to be cared for.

One day, this tag will be retired. But today is not that day.

I am weary, but not broken. The best is yet to come.

Faith > Fear Peace. Z