On August 10, 2005 Lucinda Williams played at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.  It was the last live concert that my wife and I saw together.  Lucinda was touring in support of "Live @ the Fillmore" & said she was writing songs for a new record.  As I recall, she played a new song she said she'd recently written, "Everything Has Changed."  I preordered Lucinda's "West" set while my wife was still here.  Today marks the fourth week since breast cancer ripped a giant unfillable hole in my universe.  Lucinda lost her mother; and so themes of adjustment to loss not only resonate with me, they punctuate every breath I take.  I spin the CD & Lucinda's gentle aching voice comes on, "Are you alight?"  When people ask me that, I want to say, "He*l no!"  But when she sings, "All of a sudden you went away; I hope you come back around someday; I haven't seen you in a real long time; Could you give me some kind of sign?  Are you alright?  ...Cause I've been feeling a little scared," it sounds like she's tapped into my inner dialogue as I look toward heaven and speak to the one I love.  What an amazing song, "Just tell me that you're okay."  If this were the only song on the CD, it'd be worth it.