The pianist and I were on a memory care floor when a resident collapsed in her chair. Two staff members quietly and quickly attended to her, and called for assistance. As help was coming, the pianist and I simply continued with our last hymn. I then closed with a prayer and a blessing. The pianist continued to play afterward, and I did as I always do: I collected song sheets and thanked each one for being with us.
My prayer? That all of us, as we continue our journeys, know God's presence. I have seen this beautiful resident quickly decline over the past year, so I confess that I added another silent prayer: that she be gently released from this earthly time. Yet, I know I must leave that in God's hands. I have needed to do just that, over and over again, for about eleven years now. I often feel that God and I are not always on the same timeline, but then again, maybe we are.
I have faced scenarios like this a few times as I have journeyed with SpiritCare. I share this not because I think I am a pillar of strength and good decisions, and I want to be certain you all are aware of my fine qualities. Those of you who know me know that I do fret, fuss, and get waylaid. I think I share this as a warning: that if you are with me and some emergency arises, I will more than likely hand you a song sheet and suggest that we sing. It is also a request that you do the same for me. Unless, of course, one of us needs a tourniquet. We may need to multi-task.
My deep gratitude to the volunteer pianist today, and to all of our volunteers who have kept me steady and steadily singing over the years.
The hymn we were singing? "The Day of Resurrection." 'Tis the season. Blessed be.
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