Delilah — and her listeners — write a book of love
Driving home from work at night, countless times I’ve hurried to change the station when I heard the theme song or the soft, powdery voice of the radio personalilty Delilah. For those who haven’t tuned in to her show, the format is this: Listeners call in with their stories of love — love lost, love found, love gone wrong, whatever — and Delilah speaks some words of advice or encouragement, and then plays a song appropriate to the occasion.
What inspired millions of Delilah’s fans — they have made her a nationally syndicated radio host — mostly struck me as sappy, too good to be true, or, at times, depressing. So when I was handed her book to review, I laughed. She won’t thank me for this, I thought.
I was pleasantly surprised. "Love Matters: Remarkable Love Stories that Touch the Heart and Nourish the Soul" (2008, Harlequin, Canada) is not saccharin, nor depressing, although it might cause some head-shaking at the messes people can make of their lives.
It is not high drama, either. The book is much like Delilah’s radio show: average people tell their stories — about beloved family members who’ve gone on, faithful friends, high school sweethearts they lost track of, only to reunite years later, cherished pets — with song titles heading each chapter and commentary by Delilah. Average people, quiet stories — but of course there is nothing ‘‘average’’ about love — not when it’s happening to you.
Delilah also talks about her own life in this book. She has 10 children (three by birth, seven by adoption). She has been divorced three times. The self-labeled ‘‘Queen of Sappy Love Songs’’ emphasizes that she’s no expert on relationships, except that she knows we all need them. We need to love, to believe in something greater, better than ourselves. And we all need to matter to somebody.
Love is the only thing that matters, Delilah says. ‘‘Everything else that matters, matters because of love.’’
Delilah has a gift for listening. How important that is in these hectic, confusing times, when it’s easy to feel we’re living in a community of strangers. "Love Matters" won’t change the world. But it might smooth life’s sharp edges for a few hours while you read it, and later when you think about it. Sometimes that’s long enough to make a difference.
