I am a writer, a wife, a mother, a comfort food chef, an avid organic gardener and a Celtic harpist. The volunteer coordinator for the local nursing home was ecstatic when I called to ask if I could play my harp for the residents. She wondered how soon I could start, how often I could visit, and she seemed relieved when I told her I considered music to be much more than entertainment. Music is a part of our being human. Music speaks to our souls.
Music has the power to comfort and heal.
It was during my first visit that I found out exactly what she had meant. She pointed me in the direction of the TV lounge and I began to set up my music stand and unpack my instrument. While I tuned the harp and looked over my song list the nurses began to escort in several residents. As I scanned the faces around me my heart fell heavy with sympathy and pain. Some seemed lost to the world with nodding heads and shallow breathing.