Presence Music gives overwhelmed mothers permission to stop pretending everything is fine on “Fight or Flight,” available now through NRT Music.
The Christian pop-country song grew from a breaking point in vocalist Leah Monson’s life. Between traveling, raising two young children and caring for the people around her, Monson found herself depleted. Eventually, her prayer came down to five words: “Dear God, I’m not fine.”
Leah Monson Says What Many Mothers Feel
“Fight or Flight” describes sleepless nights, racing thoughts and the physical toll of trying to meet everyone’s needs. However, Monson does not distance herself from that experience or turn it into a general message about stress.
“I think a lot of moms are living that and nobody’s saying it out loud,” Monson said. “So I did.”
That specificity gives the song its weight. Monson is not singing about anxiety from a safe distance. Instead, she gives voice to the moment when responsibility becomes survival mode and even a polished prayer feels impossible.
The chorus captures the disorientation of that moment through blurry vision, a racing heart and the question, “Am I alright?” Still, the song does not rush toward an easy resolution. Its picture of faith allows healing to remain unfinished.
Trusting God, in this case, begins with admitting what hurts rather than pretending the pain has already disappeared.
Presence Music Continues an Honest Conversation
That approach continues the conversation Presence Music began with “Mess of Mine,” its collaboration with SAPHIRE about depression, anxiety and the pressure to hide personal struggles.
However, the new song brings that concern into Monson’s experience as a mother. Where “Mess of Mine” addressed the instinct to conceal pain, “Fight or Flight” captures the moment when exhaustion makes concealment impossible.
Brandon and Leah Monson lead Presence Music, which began with local worship leaders serving at youth camps in Minnesota. The group has since developed a pop-country sound while continuing to write about faith from inside difficult experiences.
Presence Music is part of the NRT Music roster. The label recently marked its second anniversary with more than 8 million lifetime streams and 35 artists.
On “Fight or Flight,” the band’s message is not that faithful people always feel strong. Sometimes faith begins with enough honesty to say, “I’m not fine.”