Dear Amy,

Thanks for your note. I'm so glad you appreciate the song, "You Are Water." I just mailed you Hayley Westenra's completed CD on Universal/Decca, and I'll send the lyrics in my next e mail.

As you know from all of my thank-you messages, your mistaken phone call was a pivotal moment in my life. Although I was crushed to learn that I wasn't being invited to appear on the show, your permission to submit my work to Oprah provided me with hope, inspiration and drive.

I didn't write about your miraculous phone call per se, or about dreaming of being on the show for 10 years. Instead, the lyric speaks of that one special person in everyone's life that encourages them to keep going in the face of adversity. For me it was the Oprah show ... and your call.

I had originally intended to submit my parenting book, "Listen to Me, Please!" | Time-In Not Time-Out a unique new technique I created , for parents and kids to talk to each other. However after working on it for 5 years before your call and 2 years afterwards, my progress seemed to be frustratingly slow . Doors kept opening a crack and then slamming in my face. I was discouraged and despondent with all the delays in my book and 10 years as a songwriter.

Then one day while I was watching Oprah's show I started feeling better as usual and I was moved to write this song for her. The lyric expresses gratitude for what Oprah means to me and millions of other people , the way she helps us keep going when we think we can't take one more day of disappointment or rejection. As the lyric says, "O, don't you know, you are water on a hot summer day, for a thirsty daughter, who's finding her way."

From the moment the lyric came to me, it was as if the stars aligned in my life. With the help of my collaborators, Alex Forbes and Eve Nelson, the song came together quickly.

As a child therapist and songwriter, I felt Hayley Westenra was the only new young artist that embodied the positive message of hope in the song. She's a role model for kids, as a platinum-selling artist and as the United Nations' youngest UNICEF ambassador. Not surprisingly, Hayley and her team at Universal shared my sentiments about Oprah as well.

Oprah has served as a huge role model in my life including her dedication to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and I'm sure millions share my gratitude for her leadership in life and especially now in this time of hardship. As the song says, "Yeah, I want to thank you... Every step that you take shows me the way".

I would love to present the song and story of hope and pursuing dreams despite the odds to Oprah by having Hayley sing it on the show. In my dreams it could even become a theme song! ("Dream big," as Oprah likes to say.) Hayley's U.S. debut album is being released this week.

Thank you for helping to change my life.

Sincerely,

Ava Parnass