That's what I'm talking about !!

Wednesday evening.....it's really warm outside this evening and I am going to take a nice long walk in a while.....

Some quick thoughts to jot down...today at one of the Assisted Living Facilities ....

There is a Mr. W.....Mr. W is very thin and when I played for him the first time a few weeks ago I didn't know he could sit up...eat....even walk.  So last week the staff was concerned about his not eating.  After they left I told him is he would eat, I would play...so he sat right up and finished all his lunch...amazing.  Today when I arrived I shared this story with the Director and she said, yes he had lost weight and they were concerned.  So I show up to his room at noon....he's on his side...shakes his head that he wants music and then the lunch tray comes.  His roommate is yelling "I want my lunch" but Mr. W. is still lying there.  So I told him, you sit up and eat and I will play music....I waited and waited...then he sits up and finishes his plate again!!!  When he was done he laid back down and I said to him, "Mr. W. do I have to come play music for your Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner ?"  and he just smiled and shook his head yes....what a stinker!!!

Ms L....she has had a brain injury and is complete care.  She is shy of strangers and doesn't communicate.  When I come into the room she moves up against the wall, like she is afraid of me.  I ask her roommate if she would like music..."no" ...so I asked if I could play for Ms L...she said ok...she left her TV on while I played and after about 10 minutes she turned it down very low  (I knew she would like the music).....Ms. L had her eyes closed but every now and then she would open her eyes and smile....it was always at the beginning of a Hymn....she was in there....the music reached her.  When I left her roommate that did not want music was sound asleep.....love it

I played for Ms R for the first time today.....when I entered the room she was hollering for me to change her diaper....over and over.  Her roommate was frustrated and kept saying, "you already had it changed".  I asked if I could play music and got another "no"..so I asked if I could play for Ms. R...she said ok....Ms. R was very agitated...moving around but as soon as I started playing she was relaxed and quiet.  She closed her eyes and moved her hands to the music.  She was so peaceful....her Dr. walked in and said to me, "this is so wonderful for these patients and the staff just loves hearing music coming down the hall, it's so good for all of us"......when I left the roommate that said "no" asked if I could come back and play more hymns..she loved it.....that's what I'm talking about!!