While searching for information about the Worldwide Candle Lighting I stumbled upon the song “Precious Child.” Or maybe I should say I was grabbed by the song. It really had a strong affect on me.

Because this song had such a strong affect on me, I went searching for the artist. “Precious Child was written and performed by Karen Taylor-Good. While at her website I left a message on her guestbook.

Well, I was surprised the other day to find a message from Karen in my email box.

Karen wrote a very nice note. She told me the story of how she came to write this powerful song.

I asked her to let me post that message here and she gave her permission.

Here is her note to me:

Dear Joe,
I want to thank you so much for taking the time to write to me about “Precious Child”.

I read many of the entries on your website….and want to tell you how very sorry I am about the loss of your son, Richard. He sounds like an amazing young man.

I’ve only witnessed what it’s like to be a bereaved parent from the sidelines….my nephew Paul was murdered when he was 21, and I watched my sister go through that tremendous grief. I know that only those of you who’ve been through it can understand it, or have any idea what it’s like.

Bonnie, my sister, became involved with the Compassionate Friends, and was helping them plan their meeting in Nashville several years ago. She asked me if I would come and sing something.

We both wondered what I would sing….we thought about my song “How Can I Help You Say Goodbye”, but although it’s about loss, it’s pretty “mother” specific. I asked her to give me a few days to see if anything came.

I was up at the Waffle House the next morning, with my husband Dennis. In the middle of breakfast, I started hearing the song……..in all of the 500+ songs that I’ve written, this has NEVER happened before…or since.

I asked Dennis to please stop talking,

I grabbed a pen from our waitress, a waffle house napkin, and I wrote down the song…..using numbers for the notes….the whole thing just came.

I recorded it a week later, and we passed it by her “committee”…..who wondered if I had used the words “precious child” too many times…..and a couple of other nit-picky things that I said….”nope…not changing it” to……….but then, they asked if I would change this line….to account for the many varying beliefs of all the parents who might hear the song:

What I HEARD and what I wrote down was:
……God knows I want to see you, feel you, touch you….and I KNOW there’s a heaven and some day I will again………

This is not particularly my belief….I have no real, set religious beliefs….I’m open to many ideas….not so open to many others…..but this is what I heard.

They asked me to please change it….so I did….to “MAYBE there’s a heaven….”

Just thought it was important to share that with you, dear Joe….not that it could possibly make your grief any less.

I am honored that the song is speaking to your heart. I know that I was simply used as an instrument to get it out to you, and to my sister, and to other bereaved parents.

My love to you and your family….
Karen

Having talked to Karen a few times now via email, I find that she is not only very talented, but a generous and nice lady as well.

Thanks Karen.