I Love my Job

Wednesday Morning, January 29, 2014.....2 new inches of Snow!!!!  I am off today so I can Celebrate

There are so many emotions that Therapeutic Music contributes to my day.  I experience all the profound benefits of my Harp in many of the ways the Patient does.  I am able to release my stress while working in most settings, however there are Patients that completely drain you.  Those are the days you want to just crumple in a heap when you get home.  But.........the best emotion I get to experience is Humor and Laughter!

Yesterday I was with my Companion and I played my Harp in the Day Room for her and 3 other Patients.  The conversation that went on between 2 of them left me weak from laughing.  I am completely drawn into the conversation by one of the Patients when she asks me to teach her to play the Piano.  I asked some questions, like "have you always wanted to play?"  "Do you read music?"  ....this leads to the other Patient saying, "now you know you can't do PIE-ANO"...."you can't see, you can't move them hands and your brain ain't right".........ok so now I am totally dying.

I decided to take my Companion to the Dining Room to listen to the Yoga Class.  When it was over I thought it would be nice to play my Harp there, which I never do.  A few of the Yoga Students stayed to listen and a couple of the table had visitors and loved ones.  There is always a "trouble maker" that roams the halls in every Facility I have been in.  The one at this Facility is a real winner.  She is in a Wheelchair but gets around A-OK.  She likes to visit ALL the rooms in ALL the Units.  She likes to help herself to stuffed animals and baby dolls from the rooms of others.  oh, I forgot to mention, she is MEAN.  The Staff does a great job of keeping an eye on her, but she manages to wreak havoc never the less.

Back to Harping in the Dining Room....I am playing and my Companion has this look of complete peace on her face and I hear, "TURN THAT DAMN ORGAN OFF".  Yep, it's the Baby Doll Thief.  I keep playing and she says, "CAN'T YOU SEE EVERYONE IS SLEEPING, I WANT PIANO".  Now she has everyone's attention and I keep playing, trying so hard not to loose it.  "THERE MUST BE A PLUG, TURN THE DAMN THING OFF."  the end....the man at the card table lets out this belly-gut laugh which makes me loose control.  Now I am trying to play through the tears and she rolls right up next to me and says, "LOOK YOU, EVEN SHE'S ASLEEP, UNPLUG THE DAMN ORGAN"   After several deep breaths, I told her that I would play Piano for her when I was finished with the Harp.....which I did, but she was no where to be found.

Did I mention I LOVE my job?