Sometimes a song connects us in a certain way and is carried with us throughout our lives, with a special meaning and as a constant reminder of someone or something that was very important to us. For Karen Kingsbury, that song is “Have I Told You Lately” by iconic performer and musician Rod Stewart. The sweet song serves as a connection to her father who passed away — he often cited that song as reminding him of his family. After his passing, they even engraved some of the lyrics on his gravestone.
Karen and her family felt a special connection to the song and often listened to it during important moments in their lives. Karen, an inspirational author, experienced one of the most important moments of her life when she became the top author in her genre, after selling more than 20 million books. As she walked out of the office of her publisher that morning, accompanied by her daughter and son-in-law, she doubted she would hear the song that had touched their lives.
At the time, her father was on her mind and she wished that she could call him. Instead, she shared the day with her family and they decided to take a walk in New York’s scenic Highline Park. They realized the beauty of their surroundings and wanted to take a photo to capture the beautiful moment on this very special day. The trio tried a selfie, but it’s hard to fit everyone in the frame. Fortunately, a kind passer-by offered to snap a photo.
They lined up and he took the photo and as the man glanced at it, he commented on their lovely family and handed the phone back and walked away. Suddenly, Karen’s daughter realized that she recognized the man — it was Rod Stewart! They chased him down and told him the story of Karen’s dad and their family connection to the song. He listened with tears in his eyes and at that moment, Karen and her family truly felt the connection to her late father and they were so grateful to share their story with the song’s performer.
Here are the lyrics to the beautiful song that touched their lives:
“Have I told you lately that I love you?
Have I told you there’s no one else above you?
Fill my heart with gladness, take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do”
Watch the astounding story in the video below!
