What I Learned About Longevity and Perseverance at a Boyz II Men Concert
It’s 7PM Friday, it’s 95 degrees…
…and I’m going to the Boyz II Men Concert with my mommy 😂
To know me is to know that I’ve always been family-oriented, that’s simply how I was raised. Family comes first. Family over EVERYTHING. And, since my Dad passed, I’ve been even more intentional about spending time with my family. Even as a child, I’ve always understood the intentionality that it takes to remain close knit as a family. It’s not just about seeming close, but genuinely remaining close through check-ins, family gatherings, family reunions, the whole nine. Losing the rock of your family will either make a family fold or build you closer together, and I’m happy that since my Dad passed – it’s been the latter for my family.
One of my friends told me “I love that you are so intentional about spending time with your mom”, and that genuinely made me tear up – because I am, and didn’t realize that anyone else noticed it. Not that I do it for that, but it’s always nice to feel seen. This particular weekend, we were headed to the Hard Rock Guitar Hotel for a Girls Night.
My childhood was filled with old school music, from my Dad blasting The Gap Band and The Isley Brothers on our Road Trips to Georgia and Kentucky, and my mom playing her favorite artists, Peebo Bryson and ‘Ring My Bell’ by Anita Ward. Not that Boyz II Men music is ‘old’ in this context, but you get what I mean – a lot of music has been the soundtrack to my family, and I knew this was a concert we could both enjoy. And boy DID we!
First of all, Robin Thicke opened the show and I DID NOT KNOW HE HAD THAT OIL ON HIM Y’ALL!
One particular thing he stated that stuck with me: I used to wake up every morning asking God to get me through the day, to give me the strength. And now when I wake up in the morning, the first words out of my mouth are: THANK YOU, THANK YOU GOD.
And that is so true, life ebbs and flows in seasons. And some seasons you are just asking God for the energy to get through the day, but I am sooo so so thankful and grateful to be in a season of “THANK YOU GOD”.
While at this concert, I couldn’t help but to think about how many obstacles Boyz II Men had to fight through to not only stay together as a group, but to still get together to put on a quality show, 20 years after their career first began.
In this microwave culture, where everyone expects quick results – I am truly impressed by the legends that stuck it out after so many years. The sacrifice it takes to remain consistent can only exist when you’re truly passionate about your craft.
If you read my first blog, I talk about not wanting to start anything new until I KNEW I was in as season that I could stay consistent. This concert came at the perfect time, as I’m getting back into that mode of focusing and actively working toward my dreams and goals.
It truly felt like divine timing.