Some Glad Morning

Squeeze in with me, we are crowded around an upright piano in my great-grandmother’s home.  My aunt Esther is tickling the ivories and my less than musically gifted relatives are endeavoring to sing-along to whatever hymn she has chosen to play.

My great-great uncle Lambert has joined us, and he always requests I’ll Fly Away.  Uncle Lambert is a gentle giant.  He probably does not really deserve the ‘giant’ description, but he is a big man.  And since he is my great, great uncle, he is appropriately old.  Age, however, cannot hide the fact that he grew up working in the fields.  At eighty something, he is tall, still has broad shoulders, and hands the size of a catcher’s mitt.

Uncle Lambert has a voice that belies his stature.  He is kind and soft spoken…well, soft spoken until Aunt Esther plays, I’ll Fly Away.  When that song begins, we children see a side of Uncle Lambert that we have never seen before.

Some glad morning when this life is over,
I’ll fly away…
To a home on God’s celestial shore,
I’ll fly away!

Uncle Lambert is always happy to lead the chorus in full-throated joy when he hears I’ll Fly Away.

It is funny how hearing certain songs will take you back to a time and location every time you hear those lyrics.  I suppose that I will always think of my great-grandmother’s home and my Uncle Lambert every time I think of, I’ll Fly Away.

I have been deaf for six years now and will testify that I miss music.  I still have pleasant memories of musical associations, but how I do miss hearing the notes!  While I don’t hear music in the same manner that others do, (I hear tunes on my mental jukebox) those musical associations still take me back in time.

I think of my friend Greg every time I ‘hear’ Jerry Jeff Walker’s
Little Bird. 

Picture of my face
On the windowpane,
Is it tears I see or is it rain?

I think of Miss Willie Austin’s fifth grade class every time I ‘hear’ Texas, Our Texas.

Texas, our Texas! All hail the mighty State!
Texas, our Texas! So wonderful, so great!

I think of my grandmother Rada every time I hear New San Antonio Rose:

Moon in all your splendor, known only to my heart
Call back my rose, rose of San Antone
Lips so sweet and tender, like petals fallin’ apart
Speak once again of my love, my own.

Rada loved Bob Wills…

I think of my friend, Lee every time I ‘hear’ On Eagle’s Wings.  At his funeral the choir sang:

And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand.

And I think of Dad every time I ‘hear’ Big Bad John:

Ev’ry mornin’ at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six foot six and weighed 245
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew, ya didn’t give no lip to Big John…

Like my hearing, Greg, Miss Willie, Rada, Lee, and Dad are all gone now.  But I can pull up those tunes on my mental jukebox and be transported back to those glorious days when those tunes were indelibly written on my heart. 

And I know that One glad morning when this life is o’er, we will all be reunited around an upright piano and on that day the sounds of beautiful music will fill my ears, I will once again hear Uncle Lambert when he leads a chorus of, I’ll Fly away.

Just a few more weary days and then
I’ll fly away
To a land where joy shall never end
I’ll fly away

I’ll fly away, oh, Glory
I’ll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I’ll fly away.

Wishing for each of you, joyful memories, and hearts full of music!

Thanks for listening!

Hallelujah, by and by…

Your friend,

KBM

Kevin Medlin
kevin@mysilentpew.com