There are several “Firthian” songs that were written because of a unique moment with someone while at the same time, a similar moment occurred with another.  Hold Me is one such song.

When Christy was 10 years old we moved from Portland to Yakima so that I could take on a new job with a very large parish. The transition was difficult of as major transitions generally are but more so for some than others. 

One evening I was sitting in the living room. Christy came up to me looking very down.  We looked at each other and she said, “Daddy will you hold me?”

“Yes, of course,” I said and she climbed into my lap.  My initial parental response was to try to find out what was bothering her so I could fix it. (That’s what parents do, right…fix it.) She didn’t have a specific problem or issue to give me.  She finally said, “I just want you to hold me.”

I got the point.  It was a beautiful moment I’ll never forget because we sat together, Christy curled up in my arms, just because.

I finally put her into bed and kissed her good night and went back to the chair I was in.

“Hold Me” began to sing in my head, so I closed my eyes and listened to the sweet message of the human need to simply be held; not to be cured and not to be fixed.  I began to understand that being held is an essential part of being human and I experienced that truth with Christy that evening.

PS My deepest thanks to Kelli and Emily for singing Hold Me at a live concert in 2000. They shared the story and the message with such elegance and beauty. I love thee MyKelli & MyEmily.