What am I Thankful for?

Wednesday, November 27, 2013....cold and rainy....a perfect November day

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.  As I prepare my table and my home for family and friends, I can't help but reflect the year of 2013.  My life is constantly changing with people coming and going and events morphing us all into a different people along the way.  I think this is true for all of us and we get so busy we don't take the time to notice the changes, until there is a special joy or tragedy that jolts us into appreciating what we have.

I had a lovely lunch yesterday with a friend and colleague and to my surprise the Therapeutic Music Program at our local Medical Center is at risk.  This is a program that has been created by one person alone, years in the making.  She started a Foundation for funding and between herself and one other paid Therapeutic Musician, covered the Hospital alone, giving peace and healing to those who were sick, scared, recovering and dying.  I have volunteered there for over a year, giving my time for free.  How can such a large Facility turn it's back on something so important with such profound impact on the Patients they are there to serve?  I am stunned that this Program may be out of funding and put on the shelf, shame on this Med Center for turning their backs to a Program that promotes healing.  What will these caring, devoted Therapeutic Musicians be Thankful for?

So after lunch I drove to my Lady and had quite the scare.  Her fancy wheelchair was sitting empty in the Day room?  I thought, oh no she is still in bed and it's 1:30 in the afternoon.  I walked into her room and her bed was empty and I had this sick feeling come over me....they have taken her to the Hospital.  The Nursing Staff in her Unit all know me and I don't think they were at all surprised at my panic approach to them...."where is she?"  So this very nice Nurse says, "oh Miss Jackie, she is getting her hair done!"  Whew...what a relief and how exciting!  As I enter the Beauty Shop, I am thankful for this sight....she is in a regular wheelchair with no neck support because they have to color, shampoo and cut her hair.  When I told her she was going to look so beautiful, without speaking her entire face lit up...she knew and understood that the discomfort she was in was the price she would pay to feel like a beautiful women again.

Towards the end of her Hair Appt. I held her head in my hands to take the weight off of her neck.  The Hairdresser and I were laughing so hard because every time she would get the blow dryer too close and too hot, I would say, "back up".  When she was finished my Lady looked like a Million Dollars.  It took 20 years off of her and even though she was exhausted and clearly in pain, she was so proud and thrilled.  I told her she looked like "one hot mamma" and she just grinned and her eyes got teary.

While I was waiting for my Lady to get her coloring, I went into the Dining Room to play the piano but there was an exercise class going on.  I don't think I can do the scene justice but I will try.  There is a Resident that is 106.  She trots herself in her wheelchair all around the Facility, just amazing.  Her mind is sharp and she is always dressed to the 9's, complete with jewelry and her matching purse.  The other Residents were all wheelchair bound with various levels of disabilities.  There was music playing and they each had a set of 1lb weights.  The employee instructing this group was just awesome.  So patient and so much fun.  I sat and watched as each resident tried their best to lift  these weights.....1 lb.....imagine you not being able to lift 1 lb?  At one point the 106 Resident, who is folded over in her wheelchair, stops and slowly turns to the right and places one of the weights on the table behind her.....forget that thing, I can only do 1 weight!  LOL  I just got so tickled, she was not messing with both of those weights!

In the middle of this class, in rolls my young guy that I now call my "Harper".  A quick update on him, he has learned 4 Tunes on the Harp....by himself.  I swear if I ever get any extra money I am going to buy him a small decent harp, one that sounds like something.  Every time I hear him play that dinky harp I gave him,  I cringe....it's terrible!  But he keeps on plucking, amazing.  So he rolls into the group and asks for 10lb weights and starts with all upper body exercises.   After a few minutes he sees me across the room and just a huge grin and tries to wave to me with these weights in his hands....too funny and he drops them both!  The 106 Resident says loud and clear, "?  you need to work harder to hang onto those!"  ok...I lost it.  Now he is trying to explain that he didn't drop them because he was weak and she is saying, you need more work......priceless.  What are these Residents Thankful for?

As I was leaving last night I took some pics with my phone and emailed them to my Lady's Daughters so they could see how beautiful she looked.  I told my Lady again, how awesome her hair looked and that her husband was going to love it.  I said goodnight and said I would see her in a few days and very clearly, but softly she spoke, "I want".  So I leaned down and said, what do you want?  She said, "Prayer".  I have been saying the Lord's Prayer to her each night I left her and was about to leave without doing that.  What is amazing is I have not heard her speak in weeks.  It is such hard work and she has to push the words out with all her breath in a whisper.  After I finished saying the Lord's Prayer with her she closed her eyes and just grinned.......it was like her telling me, "ok, you can go now" lol.....
what is my Lady Thankful for?

Being appreciated, being loved, being brave, being part of a community with compassion and people that can see past disabilities and short-comings... what am I Thankful for?