You lose something precious, an essential part of yourself.

You grieve. And rail. You lament. And cry.

You tick down a long list of regrets, of missed (and botched) opportunities.

You think it’s all over.

And then, you get a second chance.

Four years ago I lost my music. The singing voice disappeared. The songwriting stopped. The passion died.

Or so I thought.

Last year the voice was restored. And this year, I am falling in love again.

We all know how it feels when we lose our keys, a credit card, an important document or picture, a favorite book. How about if your cat or dog runs away? We panic. We sweep the house and surrounding area, searching. We become angry when the search yields nothing. We may even cry in frustration. It eats at us, gnaws at us. It takes a long time to accept that it is gone.

And then, the lost item turns up!
How do you feel?

How would you feel if you lost a part of yourself?

• What if your eyes could no longer see the books you love to read?
• What if you lost the ability to hear your grandchild’s voice on the phone?
• What if your limbs will no longer take you where you want to go?

And how would you feel if that lost ability was restored, either through a miraculous healing or a wonder of medicine?

• What would you do with that restored eyesight, hearing or ability to walk?
• How would you feel towards The Great Physician?

A way of showing thanks

Recently I thanked God (yet again) for the completion of my healing. I had sung at two Sunday masses, marveling at the new-found strength of my voice but more importantly, reveling in the gratitude that I feel every time I sing.

The dread of performing in public is diminishing while the joy in and appreciation of what I have been given back, grows.

I devoted a chapter in my upcoming book, River of Grace on the loss and healing of my voice; I write:

“In reflecting upon the healing of my voice … I have learned that healing is so much more than a cure of the physical symptoms; it is the restoration of the whole person. And while the physical portion may happen in an instance, the true healing of the interior person unfolds over time. That unfolding requires our partnership with the Great Physician; we must take the medicine and perform the disciplines necessary to retain that healing and grow from it. I still have many issues to work through regarding my music including that newfound fear to perform in public and working through my writer’s block regarding songwriting. As one who has been healed, I have a responsibility to follow through, seeing that healing to its fruition.”

I want to celebrate this healing from the Great Physician
and I’m going to call it, “How Can I Keep from Singing.”

As a way of celebrating, I will share with you each week (on Thursdays) a song from my collection along with a short story behind that song. There will be links to where you can purchase the CD or the song itself from Amazon or iTunes.

And, each week, you will have a chance to win an mp3 copy of that song, emailed directly to you, simply by being the first one to comment on the post!

So watch for the first installment of “How Can I Keep from Singing,” coming this Thursday!

Let’s celebrate the gift of our lives with singing!

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