Striking A Notable Difference In Healthcare Since 2002

The Power of a Song

I saw in one of the rooms, two daughters in their 40’s to 50’s in a room with an older woman in the bed. One daughter was sitting near the head of the bed, leaning close to the patient and speaking to her calmly. The other sister was standing back on the other side of the bed in front of the window looking stressed and concerned. Their mom was probably in her 80s. As I came near the doorway, I heard the closest daughter tell her mom that the ‘harp lady’ was coming. The daughter seemed excited so that when I came into view, the mom was looking expectantly towards the doorway and me. She seemed surprised and happy to see me and my harp. I said “Hello,” and they asked me to come in closer so their mother could hear me better. I asked if she had a favorite she’d like to hear. The one daughter said her mom liked to dance, so I offered “Tennessee waltz” and as I played it the mom leaned her head back on the pillow of the bed and let out a couple of deep sighs. The daughter closest to the doorway was swaying with the music and smiling. The other daughter who was standing, seemed to relax a bit also as she saw her mother look more peaceful. I then went into “Edelweiss” and the mom smiled and closed her eyes and hummed along. She said, “I feel so relaxed, this is wonderful.” The daughter sitting at the head of the bed reached out to take her mother’s hand as I played and smiled. When I finished “Edelweiss” they clapped and the mom again said how relaxed she felt and that she was sure she was going to feel better now after that ‘beautiful music.’ I thanked her and her daughters and wished them well as I noodled and left the room.