The magic continues…

Photo credit to gengen.

About two years ago, I wrote a piece called “Magical” and posted it on Snarky Archies. It was a very personal story about my friend who had recently passed away and how David’s music had given her family one last “magical” moment together. Here’s what happened today.

I received a phone call from my friend’s husband. He called to say that he had seen David’s concert advertised in the local paper and it made him think of me. He wanted to say ‘hi” and catch up a bit. I asked if he were going to the concert and he said no, and I didn’t press it further. I remembered back 2 years when David brought his Christmas From the Heart show to my local venue, I asked him then if he wanted to go to the show with me, but it had been a short time since she died and he was in no mood to socialize. We finished our convo by making plans to visit next week as I have a MoTab DVD for him to share with his family.

An hour or so later, he called back. “About David’s concert, I would like to go. Not that it means anything to you, but his concert is the day of my wife’s birthday. She would have wanted to go if she were still here. She had wanted to go 2 years ago, but she was just too weak. You know, David’s music was the last music she ever listened to. I don’t want to go alone, can I go with you?”

I briefly explained that my tickets were all spoken for but maybe there was something I could do. As I was trying to figure out a plan, he came up with one on his own, “I’ll ask my daughter, and her kids, can you help me get tickets? I haven’t been to the box office in years.”

Here is the original “Magical”:

Magical.

A week ago last Friday I lost a very dear friend to cancer. We met at work over 10 years ago and when her breast cancer metastasized 3 years ago to other parts of her body she retired.

We stayed in touch and she often would ask me about David. Some of you may even remember a month ago I wrote a little piece of how, after listening to David’s speech at the Women’s Conference he inspired me to go see her. I had never visited a dying friend before but after hearing David talk about visiting the widows in his neighborhood and how reaching out even if it’s just a smile can make someone’s day I decided to overcome my fears and to go see her. I called her up and the first thing she asked was if David’s CD had come out…luckily I had one on my desk.

I went to see her and placed Christmas From the Heart in her hand. We talked and laughed and cried and then I left.

A few days after that, I got a call from her son. He told me that his mom had been asleep, woken up and asked to hear the CD. He told me she wanted to thank me and to know that it was THE PERFECT GIFT. Tears immediately came to my eyes and I was so grateful to David for encouraging me to go see her.

This morning I went to her funeral. It was a lovely Catholic ceremony with a church full of her friends and family. Towards the end of the ceremony her son got up to speak. He talked about his mom, how gracious and classy she was. He said something that I had never known; he told us that she loved Christmas music and that she listened to it year round. You can imagine how happy I was to hear that.

He went on and talked about a family trip they had taken as kids….listening to an 8 track tape half way across the country from California to Kansas. A few minutes later he talked about what happened last Monday.

He said he and his sister were talking while my friend was asleep, deeply asleep. They were talking about the CD they had listened to on their half way across the country trip. My friend awoke, asked her son to look in the drawer and to put the CD on. He told the congregation it was a CD her friend janey from work had given her. He put the CD on and she asked him to turn it up.

David’s voice filled the house.
Her son noticed a single tear on his mom’s face. He told us that a wonderful peace filled the room; he said it was a moment he and his sister would never forget.
…he said….the moment….was truly …. MAGICAL.

After the services I went up and introduced myself to my friend’s son. We talked a bit and I asked him, “what was the 8 track you were listening to on the way to Kansas?”
…his reply… Olivia Newton John (!).

I told him where David was this afternoon, how he was with Olivia and how he was performing at an event celebrating survivors of women’s cancers. He was blown away and could barely believe it. He asked me to tell his sister.

I know what they’ll be watching on Thanksgiving day.