My mom, sister, and I have gone to the Komen Survivor Celebration Luncheon for many years. As of this year, my mom is celebrating 22 years of survival after breast cancer and this month my sister is celebrating her 7th month as a survivor. Every year they have ended the celebration with a candle lighting ceremony. First they have those who’ve survived 25+ years stand up and light their candle, then those who have survived 20+ years, those 15+ years, etc. Then those who’ve been diagnosed in the past year stand up with their candles then gather around the stage while the others gather around them and sing the song, “What a Wonderful Day” written by Tricia Walker. This is so those going through their first year of surviving are surrounded and supported by those who have been there.

Tricia Walker wrote and performed this song several years ago specifically for a survivors luncheon. If nothing else provoked tears from me during these luncheons, singing that song while standing with my arm around my mom and seeing all these women who are alive and celebrating holding their candles high, always did.

This year they ended the luncheon with a candle ceremony, but it wasn’t THE candle ceremony we are used to. They stood and lit their candles as normal, but then a choir sang some religious song I’ve never heard before and that was that. I’m sure to some it was a great song, but the singing was only so-so and it really held very little meaning or significance for us. The song had nothing to do with surviving cancer that I could tell and it wasn’t a group effort like in the past. It’s different when EVERYONE in the room is signing a song, especially when it’s a song that means something and everyone is feeling it. The energy alone can bring you to tears. I looked around this year and some seemed into it but most seemed to feel awkward standing there with their candles not really knowing what else to do. They didn’t even have the first years come forward.

So I went looking for a reason why they didn’t have us sing What a Wonderful Day and couldn’t find one. After a lot of tricky searching on google I DID find the song and the lyrics. My husband enhanced it and converted it to MP3. Here you go, Mom and Kellie.

What a Wonderful Day

Did you see the sunrise this morning?
Did you hear the mockingbird sing?
Did you touch the hand of a good friend?
Well, that’s a beautiful thing
Did you taste a strong cup of coffee?
Did you smell the freshly cut hay?
Did you sing, “I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive,
What a wonderful day!”

Do you feel like the road you’ve been walking
Is a little too lonely and dark?
I will walk here beside you,
And I will listen with my heart
I may not have all the answers,
But I thank God when I pray,
That you’re alive, you’re alive, you’re alive,
What a wonderful day!

What a wonderful day,
What a wonderful day.
You’re alive, you’re alive, you’re alive.
What a wonderful day!

Now there’ll be moments of laughter
And there’ll be a time for tears
But when you need a shoulder
I will always be here
We’ve been through this together
And now we all can say
That we’re alive! we’re alive! we’re alive!
What a wonderful day!

What a wonderful day!
What a wonderful day!
We’re alive! we’re alive! we’re alive!
What a wonderful day!