“Where’s Your Music?”

An elderly man, sitting on the edge of his bed, talked with a male visitor.  He caught my eye, waved me over, and said, ‘I thought I was seeing things!  For a minute there…”  I assured him I wasn’t a figment of his imagination.  “That’s not one of those there big harps…what is that?’ he asked.  “A lever harp,” I said, showing him the levers.  “That sure is relaxing,” his friend joined in.  He joked that his friend wasn’t quite ready to go to the angels yet.  “Where’s your music?” the patient asked.  I pointed to my head.  “If I don’t know a tune, I’ll ask the requester if they can hum a little of it and try to pick it up that way,” I explained.  “My wife used to play the piano.  I can’t play anything, but she played beautifully.  ‘Moonlight Sonata’ was my favorite.  Do you know that one?”  “Ah, Beethoven,” I said, pausing, “Could you hum a few bars?”  He laughed and his friend joined in.  “My son won’t believe I saw a harp in the hospital,” he said.  “I hope you get well soon,” I responded.  As I turned to go out he said, “I’m getting better,” and waved me out the door.