February 2021, I came upon Wondery's "Guru" podcast and was deeply moved by the shocking story of Kirby Brown and two others who died in a sweat lodge at a self-help retreat on October 8, 2009. I've been a self-help seeker for most of my life and always felt safe doing so. I couldn't imagine such a tragic outcome. I kept picturing Kirby happily driving to the retreat, having spent a lot of her money to attend, excited and feeling hopeful for improving herself, only to have her life cut short. It put a lump in my throat. Listening to the Guru podcast, I learned that Kirby's family had founded SEEK Safely, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public, empowering consumers, and promoting ethics and safety in the unregulated self-help industry. Kirby's mom, Ginny, and her sister, Jean, recently published a memoir called This Sweet Life: How We Lived After Kirby Died to detail their experiences. 

I purchased the book and began reading it in early March. As I was reading, I was impressed by the beautiful language and phrasing contained within. I found myself highlighting various sentences. About halfway through, a thought popped into my head, "I should write them a song using their words from the book."

Easter weekend, 2021. I spoke out loud and asked, "Kirby, help me write your song?" I believe somehow she did. 

What followed was a song containing Ginny and Jean's words for the verses and bridge and Kirby's words from her vision quest journal for the chorus. I was a bit stuck on the chorus and almost felt like giving up when a mental spark ignited suddenly. I turned to my keyboard, and it was just... there. 

I recorded the song, emailed it to Jean and Ginny via their SEEK Safely contact email address, and waited. A few days later, I heard back from Jean; she was speechless and thankful. I was so happy they received their gift and listened to their song. It was all I wanted, to give it to them. 

Then, something unique and unexpected happened. 

At the end of August, Ginny emailed me and shared that they were simultaneously working on an audiobook version of the book when they received my gift in April. They had decided to use the song and publish it with the audiobook and wanted my permission to do so. I quickly contacted my producer, Brian, and asked him to stop working on tarot songs for the moment and instead mix this critical song. As usual, Brian delivered a beautifully produced mix. I then freely signed the song rights to the Browns and their publisher. 

The audiobook was released in October 2021. Having the song featured is very special to me and helps validate my talents' purpose. I am so grateful for this musical adventure and the ability to share it with others.