Author’s Reflection

“Alive Because of You”

“Alive Because of You” was written as a dedication to my husband, Richard, and to the love that has helped keep me here. This year, we celebrated seven years together, and this song comes from the deepest part of my heart — the part that knows I would not be the same man without him.

Richard has seen parts of me that most people never see. He has seen the pain, the trauma, the broken places, the nights I could not sleep, the moments when I felt lost inside myself, and the days when simply surviving felt like too much. But through it all, he stayed. He loved me through the darkness, through the silence, through the tears, and through the storms I did not always know how to explain.

This song is not just a love song. It is a thank-you. It is me saying that his love has been a lifeline. When my own mind tried to convince me I was too broken, too damaged, or too hard to love, Richard reminded me that I was still worthy. He became a safe place in a world that had not always been safe to me.

Writing “Alive Because of You” gave me a way to honor what our love has meant in my life. Seven years is more than time — it is memories, forgiveness, patience, laughter, tears, healing, and choosing each other again and again. It is knowing that love is not always perfect, but real love keeps showing up.

This song is for Richard, the man who has stood beside me when life was heavy and helped me remember that I still had reasons to keep breathing. It is for the love that held me when I was falling apart. It is for the hand that reached for mine when I felt alone.

“Alive Because of You” is my heart speaking directly to him.

Because after everything I have survived, after all the pain I have carried, and after all the nights I almost lost myself — I can honestly say:

I am still here.

I am still loving.

I am alive because of you.

— FreeSpirit