Touched

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea that my life was going to be touched in a profound way by someone who I don't even know.

I went to Deseret Book yesterday to get some new piano music for prelude on Sundays. One of my absolute FAVORITE LDS composers is Paul Cardall. His Primary album is astounding. His compositions are very simple, but very profound and beautiful. They are my favorites to play. At the store, I wanted to buy all of his albums, but, I'm not Rockefeller, so I had to choose just one. I ended up with "Sacred Piano," because it had several of his original compositions, as well as some hymn arrangements.

As I was practicing today, I was inexplicably drawn to one simple, original piece, entitle "Gracie's Theme." The melody was haunting and very, very beautiful. It was a simple piece to sightread, but I found myself playing it three times in a row. There was just something that really touched my spirit about this song. I wasn't sure what it was, but the simple melody struck a chord in my heart. In my head, I envisioned the song being composed for a little girl who has passed on. It has a mournful tone at the beginning. But then, through the song, I envisioned the little girl, now in the arms of her loving Savior, safe, and happy, and free from pain (I assumed she died of sickness). Free from this world with its sins and pain. Too sweet to stay on this earth. Too faithful to need to be here for long.

How could I know how close I was to the actual story behind this song?

I came home and found the song on Youtube, along with a video memorial to Gracie Gledhill, the girl the song was written for. She died two weeks before her first birthday. I didn't know what illness she had, but could tell she was sick from the pictures. However, she was a beautiful little baby girl. Even through the pictures, I could see how sweet her spirit was and hoy much joy she brought to her family, even though she was only there for a short time. I could see how much that family loved her, and, while listening to the song in the background, could see how well the song fitted that little baby girl and that family. What a great job, Paul Cardall.

I then was curious to see what was wrong with Baby Gracie, so I did some research. She had a problem with her heart and died after a failed heart transplant. Cardall himself has a heart problem, and wrote this song for this girl and her family because her story touched him so. He himself has now had a heart transplant and it has been successful thus far. I can imagine that he now has an even more special place in his heart for little Gracie.

Playing this song, watching the video, reading about these people, has really touched my heart tonight. The song itself was enough to bring tears to my eyes, but combined with learning the whole story, something really just struck me. It wasn't just sadness for Gracie's family, since they lost this sweet child. It was also the hope that fills the middle of the song; the knowledge of eternal families and the knowledge of where Gracie is right now. She is with her Heavenly Father in a place with no pain! I am sure she is happy and content and working together with all the other souls up there. Her purpose on Earth was fulfilled. She gained a mortal body, without which she would not be able to gain exaltation. Her mission on this Earth is complete. She has touched many lives, I would think, through this melody that Cardall has masterfully composed. She has at least touched mine profoundly. If you let her, she will touch your life, too.