What’s the meaning of this? 

Today I’ve experienced a small, but odd coincidence that has left me wondering:

Okay. The election happened; Leonard Cohen died; and suddenly versions of Cohen’s famous song “Hallelujah” started popping up everywhere. 

While Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton, Susan Boyle, and Pentatonix are no doubt fantasticly skilled artists, their versions of “Hallelujah” are just… wrong. Sorry. 

So I went on Facebook and posted what I think is the best version ever: Jeff Buckley’s, from his only studio album, Grace. 

And the song has lingered in my head for days. 

Last night, I pulled up the Grace album on my phone and asked my four- year-old daughter if she’d like to hear a cool song. She listened intently, which surprised me, because it’s six minutes long. At the end, she said she liked it, but it was “pretty serious”. 

Tonight, she cried and cried when she found out Hubby’s going to be traveling for a few days. “Don’t leave, Dada! I’ll miss you too much! Please stay home!” 

Poor Hubby was heartbroken, and as he tucked her in, he offered to play some music on his phone while she fell asleep. She asked for “Hallelujah”. He said sure, and mentioned that he had a different version that he likes (Chris Botti’s instrumental). 

“No, Dada, I like the one Mama played last night.” 

So he found the Jeff Buckley version, and while it played, she stopped crying and drifted into sleep. 

I was listening from the other room, folding laundry, and wondering: What happened to Jeff Buckley, anyway? I know he died young, but what’s the story? 

So I looked it up real quick. 

He drowned. May 1997. He’d gone swimming at night, fully clothed, and drowned. 

The article also posted his birthday: November 17, 1966. 

It took awhile for that to sink in. November 17… that’s today. 

As I flipped through the other search results, there were many articles and tributes dated today, because he would have been celebrating his fiftieth birthday. 

Hmmm. Weird. But… also cool. So I took a moment to say a prayer of thanks for this wonderful artist and his beautiful song. And I have no idea what to make of the coincidence. Maybe there had been mentions on the news or social media that registered in my subconscious. Who knows. 

Meantime, enjoy the song.