The Future is Unknown

A Note from the Editor: Living with a disability sometimes means relying deeply on loved ones for care and survival. When we realize that our well-being is so strongly linked to the well-being of others, thinking of the future brings a feeling of dread. What could it be? Who will care for me when my family is gone? What will that mean for me? How will I stay connected to others if my main sources of connection have died? What could it be?
In this song, Ann acknowledges this anxiety of the future, knowing that her future after her caregivers’ deaths could be dark, dreary, and disconnected. Yet, she also acknowledges that the unknown of the future could be viewed as exciting: a space for growth and goodness.
To learn about Estate Planning and protecting your loved ones when you’re gone, view our webinar: After We’re Gone.

The future is changing;
What could it be? What could it be?
Tell me: what could it be?

I'm scared about the future-
Scared of the unforeseeable future.
The future comes too soon;
The future quickly is the past.

In my runaway imagination,
The fear of my parents dying-
-Dying keeps me awake at night;
I worry about being alone.

Alone, unable to communicate.
I'm stuck living in a home-
-a home that smells like death.
No love, stuck with no one.

A home with no love,
A home where no one can hear me,
A home of strangers-
Trapped in a cold, stale home.

A home where people are distant,
A home where nobody listens,
A home where nobody wants to meet me-
Winter's not as cold as this home.

The future is unknown;
What could it be?
The future is scary;
What could it be?

The future is changing;
What could it be? What could it be?
Tell me: what could it be?

Hey future: you may change, but I'm still me
Hey future: you excite and scare me
Hey future: life would be boring without you
Hey future: can we be friends?
Hey future: is the best yet to come?
Hey future: you surprise me
Hey future: you may try to change me, but I'm still me
I'm worth a good future.

The future is unknown
What could it be?
The future is scary
What could it be?

The future is changing;
What could it be? What could it be?
Tell me, what could it be?

The future is changing
What could it be?
What could it be?
Tell me, what could it be?

Ann Hamlin is autistic and non-verbal. She uses an iPad and talking board to communicate. Ann’s dad, Bob Hamlin, attends the Neighborhood Church of the Brethren in Montgomery, Illinois, where she feels warmly welcomed.