I'm thankful for everything good and bad that happened to our

When Matt Skiba declares, “I’m thankful for everything good and bad that happened to our band,” he speaks not as one who clings only to triumph, but as one who sees meaning even in trial. His words reveal the wisdom of an artist who has lived through storms and victories alike, and has come to understand that both are teachers. In his thankfulness, we hear the echo of an ancient truth: that joy and sorrow are threads woven together to form the fabric of destiny.

The essence of this statement lies in the balance between good and bad. Many rejoice in their successes but curse their hardships, forgetting that it is often the hardships that sharpen the spirit, deepen the art, and bond a band together. To be thankful for both is to embrace the totality of the journey, not only its golden moments but also its nights of fire and doubt. Skiba’s words remind us that every setback, every disappointment, carries within it the seed of growth.

History is filled with such examples. Consider the legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who lost his hearing yet continued to write music that changed the world. His suffering could have broken him, yet it became the wellspring of some of his greatest work. Or reflect on the band The Beatles, whose early rejections and struggles in Hamburg’s clubs forged the endurance and skill that would later propel them to unimaginable heights. In both cases, as in Skiba’s, the bad was as necessary as the good, for it shaped the final masterpiece.

Skiba’s gratitude is also a testament to the communal nature of music. A band is not merely a collection of individuals—it is a shared journey, with all the joys and conflicts that come from blending different spirits together. Fights, disagreements, exhaustion, and mistakes are as much a part of the story as applause and awards. By saying he is thankful for everything, he acknowledges that the band’s identity was forged not only in harmony but in discord, not only in sunlight but in storm.

There is also in his words a profound humility. To be thankful for both sides of the coin is to release the pride that says, “I deserved only the good.” It is to recognize that the universe teaches through contrast. Success without failure becomes arrogance; love without loss becomes shallow; music without struggle becomes empty noise. Gratitude for both ensures balance, depth, and authenticity.

For those who listen, the teaching is clear: do not fear the bad that comes upon your path. Welcome it as teacher, just as you welcome the good as reward. Be thankful not only for your triumphs but also for your trials, for both are shaping you into who you are meant to become. Like Skiba, look back upon your own journey and say: “Everything mattered. Everything taught me. And for all of it, I am thankful.”

So I say to you, seekers of wisdom: let your heart be wide enough to hold both light and shadow. Rejoice in the victories, yes, but also honor the wounds, for they too have carried you forward. In this balance lies peace, and in this peace lies strength that no hardship can undo. This is the true song of gratitude—the song that Matt Skiba sings, and that we too must learn to carry in our souls.