My friend, Marian Dolan introduced me to poet Jan Richardson. I was looking for a text on themes of welcoming and “Welcoming Blessing” came up. At the time I settled on this poem, I knew it would be a project which would give me “instructions for life.” I often look for texts that provide this kind of wisdom. I did not know that setting this text would lead me through one of the most difficult losses in my life. When I began setting this poem to music, my father had recently passed away. We were extremely close. Jan’s words were a balm to my soul. In my life, I have been fortunate to find projects uncannily relevant to my current experiences and/or fascinations. This was no exception.