Positivity+, The Light Between Us
The Light of Care
Love. Perspective. Purpose.
On stage, Kēvens brings people together. At home, he is a son caring for his mother. In October 2025 he talked about it with his longtime friend Julia Yarbough, for her newsletter Keeping It REAL Caregiving. This is that story.
It is not about staying positive no matter what. It is about what positivity looks like when life gets hard.
When Everything Changes
Two years before that conversation, his mother had a stroke. In an instant, everything changed.
She is my best friend, and I truly thought I might lose her.
It stopped him. He took a hard look at himself: his work, his purpose, and where he was headed.
A Diamond in the Rough
Out of that time came a line he has lived by ever since.
A diamond in the rough is still a diamond.
A rough stone is already a diamond. Care and polishing let it shine, and if it is not shining yet, you polish it again. It became his mantra, for his life and for his music.
I Get to Do This
Caring for a parent brought challenges he had never prepared for. Some days the weight felt overwhelming.
Julia gave him one thought to carry, the same one fellow caregiver Dwane T. Hodges had once given her.
I get to do this.
Not “I have to.” I get to. That shift gave him the strength to work differently, and to see the blessings in caring for her.
Love in Action
He does not carry it alone. He gives thanks for his faith, and for the woman at his side.
I thank The Almighty for my Queen, whose support and devotion are priceless.
Care is not one big moment. It is showing up for someone you love, day after day, the hard days too.
The Light Continues
Through it all, the music kept going. Call to Balance was submitted in 2025 for Grammy consideration, and after listening, the Recording Academy's screening committee moved it from Best Reggae Album to Album of the Year and Best Global Music Album.
Positivity is a necessity. Sometimes it looks like a stage. Sometimes it looks like a son at his mother's side.
