“When I’m Worri…

“When I’m Worried, And I Can’t Sleep, I Count My Blessings Instead of Sheep “

Last year sometime before or after Christmas, I was getting ready to leave my parents home. I had spent the evening watching college basketball upstairs with my dad. College basketball was something that I started watching often with him,  because it was one of the things that he loved watching on tv during the season. As I was giving him a hug, and saying goodnight, he paused and asked me if I had ever heard of the song “Count Your Blessings.” Much to his surprise, I responded with “Yes I have, in fact,  it was on Amy Grant’s last Christmas cd that she had released a few years ago.” I think he was probably surprised that I knew what song he was talking about since our music tastes were quite different. The version he had always listened to was by Bing Crosby. That night he told me he counts his blessings every night while he is going to sleep. From that day forward, “Count Your Blessings,” had a new – and special – meaning for me. I cannot listen to the song now, without picturing my sweet daddy.

It gives me hope hearing him say that he went to bed each night counting his blessings, knowing that he had a tough road a head of him. He never let the difficulties that he was facing bring him down, instead, he rose above and kept moving forward with his life to the best that he could.

Here are the lyrics to the song “Count Your Blessings”

When I’m worried
And I can’t sleep
I count my blessings
Instead of sheep
And I fall asleep
Counting
My blessings
When my bankroll
Is getting small
I think
Of when I had
None at all
And I fall asleep
Counting
My blessings

I think about
A nursery
And I picture
Curly heads
And one by one
I count them
As they slumber
In their beds
If you’re worried
And you can’t sleep
Just count
Your blessings
Instead of sheep
And you’ll
Fall asleep
Counting
Your blessings

I am so grateful that I was around my dad so much last year, that I got to hear even the simplest comments that he made. For those who knew him, this story might be  a surprise. I know that, because it was to me.