Dear Mr. Garth Brooks,

About 20 years ago, my husband and I went to the Garth Brooks concert at Texas Stadium. We aren’t concert go-ers really, but obviously your music had struck a cord and we wanted to see Garth Brooks in concert and it was in Dallas, close to where we live! At the time, we had a beautiful red-headed-5-year-old daughter and a brand new baby boy. Our daughter, little as she was, loved Garth Brooks songs.

I can remember her snuggling closer to her Daddy when The Thunder Rolls would come on the radio. She loved the song, but somehow seemed to know there was something sinister about it at the same time; enough so that she would cuddle closer to her safe haven. She was a huge pint-sized fan.

So when the opportunity came for us to attend the concert of our lifetime, we did the grown up thing and snuck away from our sweet little daughter because we knew we wouldn’t be able to leave her peacefully if she knew we were going to see Garth Brooks. But who takes a 5-year old to a giant concert like that? It was YEARS before we confessed to her that we’d gone. Let’s just say, she took it better – not well – but better than she would have at 5.

Last night we may finally have been forgiven when she and her new husband, “The Beau” attended your concert in Houston. The first text I got was, “Garth can spit on me we are THAT close.” Followed by, “OMG. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to make it through the show without crying. Happy tears. But tears.” Let me just say, this precious woman-child of mine is NOT a crier, but there might be a little hero-worship wrapped up in those last night.

You and Ms. Yearwood got rave reviews! They said the concert was incredible and ranked right up there with Paul McCartney (The Beau’s ultimate concert experience) and the tip-top of concerts for her. (They actually go to concerts, so they have better basis of judgement than I would have.) 

The concert glow is still loud and clear this morning. They had FUN and said you did too. They spoke of the finger-pointing light show, the intro chord reaction for Friends In Low Places, the extra verses in Texas, 4 encores, the crowd standing for the entire show and the smile on your face the whole time. And the exhaustion THEY felt after (How can he do another show tonight?!)

Thank you, Mr. Brooks. WELL DONE. And thanks for getting forgiveness for me – some what – 20-years later. Or maybe that’s just pay back since I wasn’t there. 🙁

But here’s the “funny” part of the story:

News broke that you would perform 8 concerts in Houston and MY CHILD WAS GOING! After all, she’d been waiting for this opportunity for over 20 years.

She had alarms and reminders set so that she could get online before everything sold out….then the morning the tickets went on sale….their house flooded. So when the alarms and reminders went off, she was mopping up water and propping stuff up out of the path of the water flow. Hours later, exhausted, frustrated, she discovered that she’d missed her opportunity for tickets. You cannot imagine her disappointment. (Well, you have 3 daughters, maybe you can.) I think she was more disappointed that she’d missed the ticket sales than she was about the house flooding.

I was so bummed for her. I’d even decided to try and write you a letter to see if there was any way she could get tickets. Then – thank you social media – someone posted tickets online for sale. Turns out to be a Baylor fan. (She & her husband are BIG tailgaters for Baylor.) They ended up trading Baylor tickets for Garth Brooks tickets and well….happy, HAPPY girl!

And so, Mr. Garth Brooks, a great ending…a great concert..a happy girl…oh, and a little forgiveness, can’t forget that!

Congratulations on your un-retirement. Sounds like it’s going well for you. 🙂