Today was an "Aw, sweetie" kind of day. That's the kind of day when my usually sanguine sister calls to tell me she has a dentist appointment, work is overwhelming, her kid is having difficulty with something, she feels like poopoo and she needs to hear me say, "Aw, sweetie" in my most compassionate voice. Luckily for me, she readily returns the favor when I'm the one struggling.

Not everybody has a sister like that, but fortunately we all have Delilah. Or at least 200 radio markets do. Delilah, a beautiful blond single mom with a mane of blond wavy hair, has a warm, enthusiastic greeting — and seemingly sincere interest — for every person who calls into her talk show. She's a different species in commercial radioland from hosts like Ms. My-way-or-the-highway, Mr. I'm-too-cool, or Mr. You're-all-idiots.

Delilah has no snarky attitude, and here's the fun part. Once she's heard your story of caring, heroism, finding or losing love, saving a child or some other poignant tale, she dedicates a sappy love song to you and plays it on the air. Some listeners make song requests, but many let her choose the most appropriate, sappiest song you ever heard.

A native of Oregon, Delilah grew up in a musical household and always wanted to be a singer. When she discovered she couldn't sing a lick (unlikely, but she swears it), she went into radio. Eventually she developed the Delilah After Dark show, a nurturing, uplifting blend of compassion, insight, shared stories (especially about her eight multicultural children, five of whom are adopted) and those wonderful tear-jerking songs.

If you were thinking middle-aged housewives are her only listeners, you'd be wrong. Undoubtedly that demographic comprises a sizable chunk, but I heard a very hip-sounding, unabashed 17-year-old skateboarder call in. You know that kid's parents must be doing something right.

Only someone who loves children would adopt five of them. Delilah's gone even further with her Point Hope Foundation that aspires to be the "voice of forgotten children." Its immediate focus is a refugee camp in Ghana, which just this year saw clean water flow for the first time ever, thanks to her contribution of time and energy. She's also invested in women's empowerment, knowing that "families and communities cannot thrive without the help of strong, empowered women."

Delilah often tells people to trust their intuition. My intuition tells me that if you're ever having an "aw sweetie" kind of day, you might want to check out her program.

Photo by Nattu