Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

It would be my view that artists (all mediums) and writers (of all genres) aren’t immune to enjoying a bit of recognition from others.

It would simply be human nature to appreciate a compliment from time to time. Endemically so.  

With that, let me share with you, tell you about, a very sweet, very thoughtful phone call one somewhat early Sunday morning in January. The last day of that month, to be exact.

Almost all mornings I’m up a lot earlier than I’d like to be. That’s another story, best left right there. A recent Sunday morning, after “get ups” at 5:00 a.m. then 6:30 a.m., I made myself get back into bed, and hope that at least a couple of nods might mercifully come.  

Well, now, I awoke a little after 7:30 a.m., immediately grateful. In the kitchen a bit later Sally said, “You had a telephone call at seven-thirty. You need to listen to something they left for you on voicemail,” or words to that effect.

She then told me that the callers wanted to sing a song for Mr. Bartow, one of his favorites.  They told her they really enjoyed my column.

Immediately I recalled I had mentioned in a recent column how much I enjoyed a certain hymn. This had to be the song they referenced.

So…I listened to their musical message. They had barely begun to sing, with musical accompaniment, mind you, when I started to get “eyeball sweat.”  

Oh, yes. What they sang for me was truly lovely, and quite touching.

Let me share the lyrics with you:

“Morning has broken, like the first morning; blackbird has spoken, like the first bird. Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them springing, fresh from the Word!”

The other verses are also simple, yet profound. And, when you hear the melody it doesn’t leave you.  

So…inadequate though my words are, “Thank you, Brenda and Jack.”

Your thoughtfulness is very special to me. 

Please let me include a Happy Valentine’s Day (tomorrow) to each of you. Tell someone special you know that you love them.

Shalom.