ALY ALEIGHA

the story behind the song…

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VOL. I 
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I composed Auburn Skies during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was on lockdown.

Even though the reason for the pandemic is awful, and we suddenly had to stay apart from one another... in a sense COVID united us all. We were all experiencing this crazy situation together.  And to me that felt like a small gift in the midst of the difficult times.

All of a sudden it seemed like the whole world pressed pause, and the longer it went on, the more questions arose about whether our lives would change permanently because of all of this.  

I was quarantining with my family and I began to see all these little blessings come out of that difficult season.  We spent more quality time together, really enjoying one another’s company.  I began to better appreciate resources (like toilet paper!) and the slower pace of life allowed me to notice the real beauty around me, which is there all the time, but often when I get caught up in the busyness of life I take it for granted.

One of these blessings was I learned to play piano--I’d had the desire in the back of my mind for years but never found the time to really apply myself.  But here I was presented with so much time...and sitting at the piano in my parent’s house, looking out the window, every night I noticed these incredibly beautiful sunsets.  

This song “Auburn Skies” came out of that time where we were all forced to slow down, and I was forced into this reflection and I was able to see the beauty in it.

Scripture tells us that our faith in that beauty and goodness is more precious than gold which is tested in fire.  If you get close enough to fire, you might get burned.  It can be painful.  But in the process of purifying gold, it must endure that heat and pressure.  It is melted down, but not to the point of boiling--the Refiner never gives it more than it can handle. The Refiner watches it carefully as the heat brings all the impurities to the surface so he can carefully remove them. And when asked how he knows when it is ready, the refiner said, “When I can see my face in it.”

I remembered this as I was sitting at the piano looking out the window at the auburn sky, and thinking about the mix of emotions we were all feeling: the fear and anxiety that comes with the challenges and loss.  But the Lord promises to be with us in those times--He’ll be there just like He always said. 

So I asked myself: are you squandering this gift? Are you wasting the precious time you’ve been given?  Because whether it comes sooner or later, the chance will be gone. Did I make the most of the amazing time I had been given?  Did I love better?  Did I allow the refining fire of this situation to purify me and reveal the face of the Father in me?  

And this isn’t something just for the pandemic, but something I want to carry with me always: seeing the gift of every moment, the little blessings that come out of even the most trying seasons of our lives. 

There’s a line in my song that says “the sun will rise with bright auburn skies and we’ll, happy, know we gave it everything we had.”  I reflected on the image of the sun rising as an symbol of hope, but if you know the expression “red skies at night, sailor’s delight...red skies at morning, sailor’s take warning.”  

Even if the signs of the times we’re in are indicating great difficulty, we don’t have to anxiously grasp at the good things we want to keep close.  Instead, we can choose to be present to every moment and receive the blessings in each one, and we can rest happily knowing we gave it everything we had.

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VOL. II.  |  November 2, 2020
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“Can you hold your breath forever?” | #AUBURNSKIES

My mom is in the critical care unit of the ICU. She was airlifted there after a random attack where she had a seizure and her heart heart stopped beating for 8 full minutes. In the last 48 hours, we watched her struggle against the pain and frustration with her breathing tube. She hasn't been able to speak or swallow or even breathe on her own as they ran tests and performed surgery to try and figure out what caused the attack.

I know this: she’s lucky to be alive. The day of the attack, she felt perfectly normal—great even. None of us is promised tomorrow, and so often we consume our lives with petty things—arguments, politics, fear of the future, distractions of daily life...my mom does not have COVID, but those affected by the virus have struggled to breathe. All of us experience a barrier to breathe properly because of masks and social distancing. We were all thinking “how long can this last? Can we hold our breath forever?” During the global lockdown I felt God was inviting me to focus on the blessings rather than the challenges I faced. He gave me breath, and the gift of time, and asked “How are you going to use it?” How can we be good stewards of the gift of time we’ve been given? How can we fully appreciate each moment and really love the people in it? I’m grateful for this season of life because it started me on a journey of deeper appreciation for these gifts, and has helped me love better in the process. One of these gifts are the beautiful sunsets I got to see while quarantined with my parents. Outside the hospital here, the Lord is blessing us with beautiful sunsets too

Each day and each obstacle we face is an invitation to love more deeply, to rely on Him & appreciate the blessings around us.

Last night they removed the tube and allowed mom to breathe on her own again. It is such a relief to know she will be more comfortable & able to communicate with us more easily, & that she’s on her way to healing. Thank you for your prayers, for both her recovery & for answers on why this happened so hopefully we can prevent it from happening again.

My mom is lucky to be alive. So am I. So are you.

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VOL. III  |  Nov. 6, 2020
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Guys, it is an overwhelming blessing that the day this song is released is also the day my mom gets to come home from the Hospital 😭🤍🙏🏼 I wrote “Auburn Skies” while reflecting on all the little blessings in my life during the challenging times 2020 has brought. I had no idea this song would take on even more meaning on a personal level, almost losing my mom when she had a random seizure and flatlined for 8 min, was airlifted to the ICU and put on a ventilator and feeding tube. It’s been a scary week, but it’s absolutely remarkable that she’s being discharged so soon after the attack. She will still need another surgery Monday to put a defibrillator in her chest (and obviously plenty of time to heal) but we are so beyond grateful to have her with us 🤍