Sing Your Story

“Come dance with the west wind and touch all the mountaintops

Sail over the canyons and up to the stars

Reach for the heavens and hope for the future

And all that we can be and not what we are.”

–The Eagle and The Hawk/John Denver

The day

before

my 16th birthday

nineteen seventy-something

Daddy-O 

was waiting

in antsy anticipation

at the kitchen table

with an

oversized envelope

in his hand. 

“This came in the mail for you!”

No 

letter opener

necessary.

I tore it open

to discover

a handwritten

Happy Birthday

wish on a photo 

from my fav singer

JOHN DENVER!

My heart 

soared

then sank

as I glanced

over at Daddy-O, 

with suspicious wonder

of the third degree.

“How did John Denver know it was my birthday?”

Grinning from 

earlobe to earlobe

he couldn’t wait to reply.

 “I called his Dad and told him!”

Well well well

come to

find out

Daddy-O

and John’s Dad

were military guys

that had met

somewhere along the way.

I had no clue.

Dad said

he wanted to make

my 16th birthday 

extra memorable.

Mission accomplished.

Years fly

priorities shift

until 

recently

when

I rescued

that “far-out” photo

from an attic scrapbook

to relocate it

on my office wall

along with

other vintage

concert clippings

and ticket stubs.

Right. On.

Cool memories

once forgotten

now displayed

to shine 

soul light

into my days.

Joy is ageless.

Precious one

time goes crazy fast.

Delight in the journey.

Thank God for this day.

Sing your story

loud

proud

even out of tune.

Gather grateful 

like a 

spring bouquet

then 

give it away

for good.

Show love.

Spread love.

Be love.

You are so loved.

You are.

Life is a gift. XOXO