The Most Beautiful Song

Working with the elderly, you learn to appreciate the things we take for granted. You also discover the most beautiful things that can bring a warmth to your soul and become imprinted on your heart.

In my experience, the saddest and scariest thing about aging is Alzheimer’s Disease. Working with these beautiful souls is one of my greatest pleasures and saddest moments as well as it is where I have learned the most and experienced beautiful moments.

There is one beautiful moment that stands out for me and that is when music transformed a silent, withdrawn and confused woman into a singing and responsive individual. The lovely lady I am talking about has had a severe stroke and has dementia and is in a long term care facility. In her past, she danced ballet in Europe and sang Opera in England but has not sang since her stroke.

I had bought a Side Walk Prophets CD and played for her and she began to attempt to sing along with the music, even attempting to change notes and levels while singing. This was amazing to watch her do and it was a beautiful sound.

Another awe inspiring moment was hearing this wonderful woman attempt to practice Operatic singing with and without music playing, even though it was sadly off key and words made no logical sense it was the most beautiful song.

Every day since then, she will sing her song to me and share her love of music with me while listening and aiming to any music we hear. It is heart warming as you can see parts of the Opera singer coming out of her and watch a smile form on her face when you ask “are you singing?”

I encourage everyone to spend a day with an elderly person because it will change your life for the better and you will never be the same. Our elderly are the greatest teachers and bravest warriors as they have survived so many trials and tribulations in their lifetime.

Take a moment, share your time, open your mind and listen not just with your eyes but with your heart.

Looking glass

Looking back upon the years

Passed by so quickly

I wonder where lost time goes

Does it float around in universe?

For so much is left unaccomplished

Dreams frozen and lost due to fear

Every goal we do not attempt

Holds us back from our true self

Charade

I tried to be who you wanted
Losing who i was inside
You liked the mask that was there

I tried to find the real me
Hidden behind the masks
Bravely I started to show my colours

You looked at me with disgust
Cast me aside like shattered glass
Your only words were “Your not yourself”

You hide behind your “ability”
Claiming you can see things i cannot
How is it you didn’t notice the person inside struggling to be free

So I made the choice that day
No words of my truth will spill out
Around you I am an actress – hardly seems fair

You pull me into your drama
Like a fly into a web
Being that I care my heart is trapped
with you there

My silence is all you’ll get now
You’ve stolen my ability to trust
Shown me you don’t care what I say

Tell me is the charade you had me play
Worth the cost of our connection
Can you live with the price you have to pay?

Ageless Friends

 

 

We always joke around and tease each other
But I can tell something is bothering you
You are keeping something bottled up inside
I can see that it is tearing you apart
I have tried to get you to open up
I want to try to bridge this gap
But I don’t know when, why or how
Once we used to be able to talk deep
Now you do not let me know what you feel
If you are in trouble and feel so alone
I want you to be able to lean on me
What happened to the trust we once had?
Friendship is not just about the good times
It is being there for each other always
Please remember no matter what is wrong
I am always here to help carry on
Feel free to rest your head on my shoulder
Can you imagine us twenty years older?
What a funny sight we would be – 40-year-old you and me!