New Year’s Eve Gifts

A couple of months ago I was asked by a visitor to play a special song—“I Will Wait for You”—for his friend, a patient under hospice care at one of our hospitals.  Try as I might, I could not pull in that melody on the spot.  Even though the two assured me that they loved the other songs I played for them, I left the hospital feeling defeated.  I, teacher of how to play by ear, one who declares that if you can hum a tune, you can surely find it on your harp, could not, for the life of me, find the notes of a familiar song requested by a dying patient and his friend.  As soon as I got home, I worked on it, forgiving myself somewhat once I realized how complicated both the melody and harmony were.

The following week I returned to that patient’s room and found him sleeping.  Standing in his doorway, I played the song several times, sending thoughts of love and healing with each note.  When I returned the third week, his room was empty.

Yesterday a nurse from that same hospital called our office requesting a harp therapy session for one of her patients.  No one is scheduled to play there until next Monday, so I answered the call today.  I had just strapped on my harp in the busy lobby area when a man approached me.  “Do you remember me?” he asked.  I looked closely at his face.  I could hardly believe it—it was the friend who had requested, “I Will Wait for You!”  “I do remember you,” I answered.  “You know, I learned that song you requested and was able to play it for your friend when I came back a week later.”  “You did?  You learned that song?  And you played it for my friend? Oh, that’s unbelievable!”  His eyes teared up but he smiled broadly.  “Would you like me to play it now for you?” I asked.  “Oh, yes.  YES!”  As I played the hauntingly beautiful melody, the man smiled even more.  Soon a small crowd gathered around us.  When I stopped playing, the man turned to the others, “She learned that song for me and my friend!  What a gift she’s given me today!” 

And what a gift he had just given to me.