Hi, Bob:

Glad to see young'uns doing this stuff. I'm 66. I've had just the opposite experience. I couldn't handle it emotionally when I was in my twenties. The other thing that I'd encourage people to realize is that while the choice of songs that you sing is important, the most important thing is just to be there, showing that you care. My wife and I visit the sick on a regular basis, and most of the time, we're visiting people we have never met. The beautiful thing is when, three years later someone comes up to you and says "Don't you recognize me? You visited me when I was in the hospital!" We may not have said much more than, "how are you doin' and had some spiritual conversations with them... not inherent in this thread." The important thing is that we came. Sometimes, just showing up is the victory. My parents lived 1,000 miles away, and I figured that if I couldn't come to sing for them where they lived, I'd sing for someone here, and let someone else out there sing for my parents. There are good folks everywhere. I'm glad you're doing what you're doing, Bob. My highest paying jobs are one where no money is involved.

Jerry