Sing a Song

“Do you mind if I play the piano for my mother?” I asked the nurse. “Not at all,” she replied.

I wheeled my mother away from the lunch table and sat down to play some familiar hymns. My mother, still sitting in her wheel chair, closed her eyes to sleep.

Much to my surprise, other residents soon joined us. Some merely listened and others sang along. Some commented on the songs and recounted times when music played an important role in their lives.

Despite the problematic C key that needs some maintenance, I played hymns like “How Great Thou Art”, “Jesus Loves Me” and others. My favorite part was when a male resident walked over and started singing along with “It is Well”. His bass voice rang out with assurance. “Are we singing all the verses?” he asked.

While playing the familiar hymns and listening to the residents sing, I couldn’t help but smile and feel a sense of happiness. It really was a small thing, but I felt content, knowing that I contributed a little bit of music for these people who struggle to converse with others and constantly deal with a confused mind.

As Hans Christian Andersen says, ” Where words fail, music speaks.” 

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