Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Last week we received the sad news that singer Billy Joe “B.J.” Thomas passed away at age 78. Whether you remember him from “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, “Hooked On A Feeling”, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”, “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” or other tunes, you know he was a fixture on AM radio in the early 1970’s before his foray into gospel music once he became sober in 1976.

But for me, today’s song is the one I remember best. It was on repeat in my house growing up as it was one of my mother’s favorites. I kept her worn out 45′ for sentimental reasons and I sing along when it is played on the 70’s channel because I can still recall every single word by heart.

It is a bittersweet memory that comes from those tunes that molded us when we were kids and transports us back to those days like a time machine. It may only last a few minutes, but what happens in that short amount of time is transformative. Rest in peace, BJ Thomas. Thanks for taking me home for a little while.

“I just can’t help believing
When she slips her hand in my hand
And it feels so small and helpless
That my fingers fold around it like a glove“.

BJ Thomas circa 1974. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

B.J. Thomas: “I Just Can’t Help Believing” (1970, written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.