Oh What I’d Give…

By: James Neuhouser

To dance with my father again. When Luther Vandross met Richard Marx they became instant friends and began to work together. Richard would write songs and Luther would sing them. But still Richard’s life long dream of writing a song for his father remained.

It turned out that Richard’s father had recently died in a car accident so this would be a joint effort. This would be a love letter to both of their dads.

Luther is remembering how fair his dad was in discipline. When his mother asked him to do something he didn’t want to do he would run to his dad. But in the end his dad supported his mother.

“If I could steal one final glance

“I’d play a song that would never end 

“Oh how I’d love to 

“Dance with my father again.”

But the real tragedy for an 8-year-old boy was to see the grief of his mother. It would tear his heart out and it is something that he would never forget.

“Sometimes I listened outside her door. And I’d hear how mama cried for him. I pray for her even more than me.”

‘I know I’m praying for much too much. Could you send back the only man she  ever loved? But, dear Lord, she’s dying…’

“To dance with my father again

“Every night I fall asleep  and this is all I ever dream

“To dance with my father again.”

Luther died at the age of 54, just 10 days after he recorded the song. He left the legacy that he had worked on his entire life. There’s just something about this song. His mother lost all four of her sons during her lifetime.  

As one gets older you seem to have more time to contemplate. There are very few things in life that I regret, yet in the back of my mind, did I do enough? Was I around when my folks needed help? As I look back, my sister and brother-in-law did everything for them, but could I have stepped in and helped more? 

“If I could steal one final glance.”

We are in contact with a lady, whose children just seem to be devoted to her. This family took a week or two weeks vacation each summer and they planned all year for it. Did this make a difference, I don’t know. 

But the big thing I worry about, have I been the husband that I should have been? Did I cause pain by focusing too much on things that I want?

One thing that comes to mind as I watch this morning’s sermon, did I put enough effort into my grandchildren? Do my children respect me as they should, will their children respect them? Seems like the only thing we have to give is our time, and we should give this generously.

We can’t go back, time only moves in one direction, all we can do is resolve to your best in the future.