Second Chances: An Unexpected Angel

Chapter 47

That night, after he went to bed, I posted his video on my Facebook page, on my Twitter, and recorded a shoutout video on my channel, linking my subscribers to his channel. Then, I tweeted his video to some of the current and former members of Celtic Woman, hoping they would respond.

The next morning, Sméagol and I both logged onto his YouTube, and were blown away at the amount of support and positive feedback from people. He had already gained a hundred subscribers, as well as received a boatload of heartwarming comments.

"Wow, Sméagol," one comment read, "you're actually really good! Please post more covers!"

"Holy shit, Sméagol!" another read. "I am crying like a baby! Your voice is so beautiful! Thank you for sharing your gift with this world."

"Sméagol, I am one of the biggest fans of Celtic Woman, and you did Lisa Kelly justice. I'm also a huge Lord of the Rings fan. You were one of my favorite characters, and now that I've heard you sing for real, I'm an even bigger fan of yours."

"I'm so glad you got your second chance, and it looks like you're making really good use of it. Great cover! Awesome voice!"

"Thanks, Sméagol. I was having a really bad day, but this really cheered me up. Beautiful voice."

"Sméagol, I just want you to know how much this touched me. I've been going through a really tough time. I just found out my mom has cancer, and only has six months left to live. On top of that, I caught my husband cheating on me with my best friend, and I just lost my job. My life has been falling apart, and it feels like I did something to deserve all the bad shit that's been happening to me. Your beautiful singing really lifted my spirits. I know you've been through a lot, too, worse than what I'm going through. I saw you in the movies, and my heart broke for you. Still, you kept going, even though things got really tough. That's what motivates me to keep going. I'm so glad you got a second chance, and that you're here with us now. You are a strong person, and you have the voice of an angel. Thank you for sharing your precious gift with this world. Now, whenever things get tough for me, I'm going to listen to your beautiful singing. God bless you, Sméagol. Love, Teresa."

"Awwwwww!" Sméagol cried. "Bless her heart. Sméagol wish he could hugs her so tight."

I smiled at him. "You make a difference in people's lives, more people than you think. Oh! Let me check something." I went over to Twitter. "Oh, my gosh! Sméagol! Lisa Kelly tweeted out your video!" Lisa Kelly is a former member of Celtic Woman, and she is the one who sang "The Blessing."

Sméagol's eyes lit up. "Lisa Kelly?!"

"Yep, she loved your cover. She said it was so beautiful."

"Bless us, and splash us, Precious! But... how did..." He looked over at me. "You sendsed it to her?"

I nodded.

"Oh, my precious!" Sméagol hugged me. "So happy you make Sméagol!"

"Well, you make people happy with your singing. I felt like more people deserved to hear it, too, and I'm glad they did. You made them happy, too, like that one girl, Teresa. Your singing made her feel loved, made her feel like everything would be okay again. And, last week, at the nursing home, you made all those people feel so happy when you sang for them."

Sméagol was trying to process what I was telling him, but couldn't seem to understand how he made anyone happy. "Sméagol... does not understand why he makes people happy, Precious."

"Sméagol, music is so therapeutic and healing. Like, every time I'm feeling down, I listen to Celtic Woman. They make me feel good again. Their voices are so beautiful and warm and full of love. Their music is uplifting, and even when they sing sad songs, they still make you feel hopeful. It's like they understand your pain, and you feel so much less alone. It's almost like they're your best friends, even though they don't know you, but you're connected through music. And, even though you don't know who everyone at the nursing home is, you connected with them through your music. They could feel your pain, and they could relate to you. They felt like they had a best friend. And, those people don't even feel like they have a reason to live anymore."

A sad expression appeared in Sméagol's eyes. "But... why?"

"They live in that nursing home, because their families can't take care of them anymore. Some of them, their families just dumped them there, and forgot about them. Now, they're just sitting around, waiting to die, because they don't feel like they have a reason to wake up anymore."

Tears came pouring out of Sméagol's eyes.

"But, Sméagol, that day... that day, you were their reason for getting up. You gave them a reason to hold on. They want you to keep coming back to sing for them, tell your story, connect with them, let them know they're not alone. They need that. You did that same thing for Teresa, too. You made a big difference in these people's lives, just by singing, because they could hear the love and warmth and kindness in your voice. They could see it written all over your face. They could feel your pain and your joy and your love. That gift people said you have, that's what it is. Your ability to reach and touch people's hearts and their lives through your amazing singing."

Sméagol, still crying, gave me a big hug. He didn't know what else to say, but his hug and his tears said everything.

That night, as he zipped himself up in a purple onesie, he thought about his performance at the nursing home. He remembered seeing the reactions of the residents he sang for. He remembered seeing so much sadness, hopelessness, and emptiness in their eyes, things he remembered feeling for centuries due to the power of the One Ring. When he sang for them, however, he saw their faces light up with smiles and joy and their eyes filling with tears. Knowing that he was actually responsible for lifting their spirits was all too much for him to process, and it brought him overwhelming joy. Knowing that he made a positive difference in people's lives just by being kind and sharing his music with the world, he felt a sense of purpose, something he'd always longed for. There was a time when he thought the ring was his only purpose, but he remembered how unhappy, unfulfilled, and empty he felt. As he snuggled up under the covers, he knew what he wanted to do with the second chance Galadriel had blessed him with, and he drifted off to sleep with a full heart.