Learning to 'Be Somebody'
In honor of it being Father’s Day, it seemed fitting to share some words of wisdom from my sweet dad. Ever since he dropped us off in the school carpool line, he would always bellow this seemingly cheesy advice after us. We were just trying to get to school in one piece (with triplets that can be a challenge), but he always loved leaving us with comforting little remarks. The one phrase that began to stick the most was “Be somebody!” Now that my siblings and I all live in different states from our parents, and going through your twenty’s comes with all sorts of valleys and steep learning curves, these two words have really become a family motto.
When the trials and challenges of life get really heavy, that’s when you figure out what you’re made of. When life keeps throwing one curve ball after the other at you, I’ve found myself subconsciously leaning into what it means to truly “be somebody.”
It doesn’t mean ‘try to do everything yourself.’ It doesn’t mean ‘have your stuff together all time and be perfect.’ It doesn’t mean ‘focus on your reputation and leave behind a legacy that’s all about you.’
Honestly, I think it’s more of a quiet confidence. It means leading with humility. It means rooting yourself in one spot and making commitments to grow there, even when crap hits the fan and you’d rather run for the hills to anywhere more comfortable. It means showing up, even when it’s scary.
In this season, there have been a whole lot of valleys. But I’m learning that’s where growth happens. Life isn’t always mountain tops and sun beams. Sometimes, it’s more full of shadows and hard things. But it’s in those moments where strength is increased, where character is built. In asking where God is in times of suffering, Hannah Brencher writes “He makes himself known in people who don’t realize they’re beacons of light in their own imperfect ways, helping other people find their way home.”
Maybe at the end of the day, “Be Somebody” just means ‘be light.’ I think that’s all we can aim for. To be more grateful for the messes, to be the light in the crack, to be joyful when it makes no earthly sense.
A few things that have been light to me lately:
Hannah Brencher’s book Come Matter Here (Do yourself a favor and go buy a copy. Amazon Prime it, it’s worth it. It’s one of those books that reminds us of our humanity but gives me so much hope.)
Dermot Kennedy’s music. (I could go on for a while, but the way this singer-songwriter from Dublin approaches music with so much light and hope, it’s one of my favorite things. Creatively he makes me want to value the things I make more and to honestly just be a better human. But prepare yourself, his music will absolutely move all your feelings around like furniture.
It’s been a minute, but some new music I’ve been listening to is updated on the boombox playlist! You can listen here.
