Meeting In The Air

Murphy Henry

Actually, the meeting was in Bloomery, but when I walked out the back door of Ben’s house, onto the deck, I sure felt like I was in the air. I could see clear across the valley to the beautiful, West Virginia mountains. There is a reason John Denver started Country Roads with the line, “Almost Heaven, West Virginia…”

Casey and I had driven to Bloomery for Kasey’s 13th birthday party. (Kasey, you will remember, is our Banjo Picking Tip Jar Jam Fashionista!) Father Ben, and his wonderful wife Tina, wisely recognized that turning 13 is a landmark event in a young girl’s life, so Ben made a Big Deal out of that with this party. He also gave a speech to that effect, which embarrassed Kasey (“It’s getting deep,” she said), but which I thought was heartfelt and brave. Not too many men are willing to let their “mushy” side show.

Of course Casey and I brought our “music,” as John Hartford would say and after lunch and cake, we congregated with Kasey and Ben on the front porch to “give ’em a little tune” as Big Dalton would say.

Kasey might have been just a tad nervous about playing in front of a huge crowd of family and friends, so I suggested we start easy with Cripple Creek. I had the guitar, Casey also had a banjo, Ben played bass, and his brother, Tim, had harmonicas. Cripple Creek went well so we did I Saw The Light (in C) so Kasey could sing, then Fireball Mail, and, at Kasey’s request, Salt Creek.

Then I asked Ben if he wanted to sing one. After some hemming and hawing, he said he could sing a song he sang with his kids, This Little Light of Mine. I knew that one from my own childhood and Casey knew it from somewhere so she kicked it off in G. We started with the chorus and soon, over my left shoulder, I heard this awesome, old-fashioned tenor part come in. I assumed it was Casey, as she was standing to my left. But when I heard that same amazing voice come in on the verse, “Hide it under a bushel, no, I’m gonna let it shine…” I knew that wasn’t Casey. I looked back and there was Ben’s 78-year-old mother, Gypsy, singing her heart out. Oh, my gosh. It was powerful! And rock solid. I didn’t want the song to end. I wanted Ben to shine that light all over Bloomery, all over West Virginia, all over Virginia, all over Winchester, and clear down into Georgia!

When we finished with that I said, “Sing another one!” Ben’s mom  suggested Meeting in the Air, a song I was only slightly familiar with. “Start it, Ben,” I said, “I’ll find you.” And, bless his heart, Ben is so willing–and so trusting. He started out, “There’s going to be a meeting in the air / In the sweet, sweet by and by…” And I found him–he was in the key of C. So Casey and I jumped in, hunting for the chords, and Ben’s mom jumped in with the tenor and it was amazing.

Ben later wrote this to me:

“The true highlight of my whole weekend that I will take to my grave was my Mom singing Meeting in the Air! When I was little boy she would be in the kitchen singing that song and when she would get to the part “I am going to meet you, going meet you over there” she would always point to me then to herself then to heaven. It would ALWAYS fill my heart with joy because I knew my Mom would be there to meet me! 

When I was deployed with the 101st Airborne in numerous contingencies I would sing that chorus to give me peace. I knew if I didn’t make it home, I’d still meet Mom over there. Then when my Dad was dying, laying there in the living room, with all the family gathered around, that was one of the many songs we sang to him. Mom would point her little ole finger at me, then Dad and herself, then heaven, assuring us that we would meet again.

Then yesterday Mom comes up and wants to sing Meeting in the Air. Well, I did good till her little finger pointed at me and then herself and then heaven. I was broke from then on, my heart was wrenching and my stomach in a knot. All the memories came back in a flash! But to see my Mom standing there between you two, her little eyes twinkling and smiling from ear to ear, and still letting me know that she will meet me over there is a moment in time that I will cherish forever.”

 

We sang other songs–I’ll Fly Away and When the Roll is Called Up Yonder–and ended with Foggy Mountain Breakdown. But Ben said it all right there.

There was one more precious moment for me. As I was leaving,  Ben’s 4-year-old grandson, Camden, came up to me, gave me a hug, said, “You played good!” And that is one of the best, most sincere compliments I’ve ever gotten. Thanks, Cam!

And thanks Ben, and Kasey, and Ben’s mom (Gypsy), and Tina, and Tim and all the good folks that were there listening. Kasey’s 13th birthday party is a day that I’ll remember for a long time!

 

PS: I looked for Meeting in the Air in several hymn books but couldn’t find it. So I Googled it and found that it is a Carter Family Song, written (or so says the Infallible Internet) by May Taylor Roberts in 1925. I probably heard it long ago on some Carter Family album. No telling where they got it. Great, great song!