Ronan Tynan and "Passing Through"
This morning, getting ready for church, I turned on the radio to hear the Tabernacle Choir's "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast. It was already underway.
I heard Lloyd Newell midway through describing Ronan Tynan (one of "The Irish Tenors"): the amputation of both legs, his Paralympic records and gold medals, his vocal training that didn't begin until his 30's, and his mother's inspiration. Then Ronan introduced a song he wrote for his mother who now suffers from Alzheimers.
She used to say, "put courage in your dreams, Ronan, and leave the rest to the Man Upstairs, and then you'll carve your footprints in the sand." Then he sang "Passing Through": "Light the candle, say I love you, on your way to passing through."
I rediscovered that friend Garry Wilmore had given me the CD "Ronan" last year. Fortunately, "Passing Through" is the final cut (and the CD's full of other wonderful music). You can hear an excerpt here. Now I've loaded the whole CD into iTunes on my laptop.
Sometimes the world seems full of only conflict, strife, and evil. But Ronan's tribute to his mother reminds of the good, the wholesome, and the noble.
I heard Lloyd Newell midway through describing Ronan Tynan (one of "The Irish Tenors"): the amputation of both legs, his Paralympic records and gold medals, his vocal training that didn't begin until his 30's, and his mother's inspiration. Then Ronan introduced a song he wrote for his mother who now suffers from Alzheimers.
She used to say, "put courage in your dreams, Ronan, and leave the rest to the Man Upstairs, and then you'll carve your footprints in the sand." Then he sang "Passing Through": "Light the candle, say I love you, on your way to passing through."
I rediscovered that friend Garry Wilmore had given me the CD "Ronan" last year. Fortunately, "Passing Through" is the final cut (and the CD's full of other wonderful music). You can hear an excerpt here. Now I've loaded the whole CD into iTunes on my laptop.
Sometimes the world seems full of only conflict, strife, and evil. But Ronan's tribute to his mother reminds of the good, the wholesome, and the noble.
posted by Barney at 3:10 PM
1 Comments:
Hey I just "Googled" Rassing through and happened upon your Blog. I just watch that Music and the spoken word about 30 minutes ago here in Afghanistan thanks to the DVD's sent to us by the Area Presidency. I was so moved by his story I am actually using it in my Sacrament talk on Sunday. Wow what a small world and what an awesome opportunity we have to even share this with each other thousands of miles apart. I am going to learn the lyrics and sing it to my mother on Mother's Day when I get home.
Thanks again.
SSG Paul R. Diamond
C C0 142 Military Intelligence Battalion, Task Force Wasatch
FOB Boris, Afghanistan
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