“Daddy’s Home”

The lights were bright, the stage felt wide

Gown heavy on my shoulders

I saw my name, I heard it called

And I finally felt older

I thought about my mother

Every sacrifice she made

I thought about my father

Gone before he saw this day

I stood there shaking, breathing deep

Trying not to fall apart

Because this wasn’t just a degree

This was the end of the start

Generations stood behind me

Every prayer I ever knew

I was crying for my parents

And the chances they never got

For every door they knocked on

That history kept locked

But when I saw you and Gabriel

Standing there, waiting on me

I knew the fight was finally over

And love had set me free

I work a job I never dreamed of

In rooms I once feared

A name that carries weight now

Because you stood right here

I didn’t climb this mountain alone

I didn’t earn this by myself

Every step I took was borrowed strength

From loving someone else

Faith carried me when I was empty

You carried me when faith ran thin

I was crying for my future

For the life we get to choose

For a son who’ll never know

What it means to feel refused

I don’t want you bowing your head down

I want you standing tall

You’ll never carry my self-doubt

Because I already broke that wall

I believe in Christ who strengthens me

When I couldn’t stand upright

I believe in the woman beside me

Who saved my life

I wouldn’t be who I am today

Without the love you gave

I wouldn’t be standing on this stage

Without the price you paid

So Gabriel, lift your eyes up

This world is yours to try

You’ll never have to prove your worth

The way I had to survive

We’re home now, wherever God leads us

Together, side by side

I didn’t just come back with a degree

I came back with my life

The fight is done, the doors are closed

The past can finally rest

Daddy’s home…

And that’s the promise I’ll protect