Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

“Brightly beams our Father’s mercy, From His lighthouse evermore; But to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore.”

Then comes the chorus.

“Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave! Some poor fainting, struggling seaman, you may rescue, you may save.” What a powerful sentiment.

That was the first verse of one of my father’s favorite old hymns. Mine too.

It is also, especially, dear to me because one of my several quartets included it in our repertoire of diverse genres. Memories.

You see, friends, I suspect most of us have, during our journeys, had special experiences with special people, the memories of which remain. Sweetly so. Yet a bit sad, too, for they will never come again in exactly the same way.

Two avocational activities I miss most are being a part of barbershop harmony, quartets and choruses, and running. They were the life-long things that were the “chicken soup” for my, well, emotional well-being. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

I can do neither now.

My gratitude for being able to do both for so long is difficult to adequately express, to quantify.

My sadness, because of the absence of being able to enjoy these activities, is real.

Plus, the barbershopping, creating those skin-tingling acapella chords, was done with others, many of whom became a special part of my life. I hope I have sprinkled a little musical sunshine. I could easily expand upon that, but some would think it a bit too “touchy-feely,” conventionally awkward. A shame.

Many of these special friends, with whom I shared the joy of “bustin’ chords”, are gone. I hope they now are doing even more of it in those “Quartets and Choruses Eternal.” That’s a nice hope to have.

As I mentioned earlier, I hope many of you have such good memories of those special things you did with those special people in your life. Those who don’t have such memories to cherish, well, what can I say?

And yes, “Time’s winged chariot” does draw nearer for all of us. Inexorably so.

May we all, in some good way, for someone in some form of need, “… send a gleam across the wave …”

May we even do it with a song in our hearts.

Peace.

Note: Should any of you have suggestions for topics I might use as a column, please contact me so we can discuss it. This will be appreciated.