Holiday Cheer

Quote of the Day:  from We Need a Little Christmas
Haul out the holly;
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.
Fill up the stocking,
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now.
For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute.
It hasn't snowed a single flurry,
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry;
So climb down the chimney;
.....
For we need a little music,
Need a little laughter,
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafter,
And we need a little snappy
"Happy ever after,"
Need a little Christmas now.

My students and I brought some comfort and joy to the folks at an assisted living center in town. We're here in the memory care unit bringing back some childhood memories. All these students played a few numbers, then we sang a few favorites. What a way to lift holiday spirits.

That's all you need to do, folks. The perfect gift doesn't exist. The best made travel plans can be grounded by a snowstorm or unexpected emergency.  The impossible moment will never be achieved. All you really need to do is show up. Be present. Share your gifts and talents. Pay attention to those around you who need you. Then, you'll have Christmas in your heart all year.

From A Christmas Carol at The Guthrie to our small gift of music today, I know where the true spirit of Christmas lies. Next weekend, I'll be sitting back and enjoying the gorgeous music of my favorite regional choir, From Age to Age.

Go. Create. Inpsire!
And, don't get caught up in the crazy.

Journaling Prompt:  What does the true sense of giving mean to you?

Will Work for Ice Cream

Quote of the Day:  Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears - it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more - it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.

— Oliver Sacks, author of Awakenings 

(apologies for the dark picture - my settings were off)

Three of my piano students and I played and sang at an assisted living center this week. Besides being a great way to keep their skills up over the summer months and provide a place to share their gifts, this was an opportunity for them to lift up the residents.  We helped them feel connected to the present and hopeful about tomorrow, as well as evoking memories of the past.

When the youngest of the three, barely playing piano for a year, played Twinkle, Twinkle, Litte Star, the residents couldn't help but sing along.  They tapped their toes to the peppy tunes, and got dreamy during the classical pieces.  When I played some good, old patriotic hymns, they all sang along, nearly every word to every verse.

Then, we walked down to the memory care unit. I explained why the door needed to be locked, that the residents have memory loss, and that there might be added distractions.  We entered the commons room where a tv was on that no one was watching.  We moved in towards the keyboard and shut off the tv.  My young student played Twinkle, Twinkle again, and I saw eyes light up, lips move, and words coming out of smiling mouths.  They clapped after every song the girls played, and sang out strong during the patriotic hymns.  They seemed the most jubilant for Onward Christian Soldiers, and I had visions of them as young women, linking elbows during the war years, working in factories, writing letters to sweethearts, dancing at the halls with soldiers so young they'd barely graduated high school.  Were any of them in the American Army Corps, or Red Cross workers?  Perhaps an army nurse was in residence or even a pilot.  Who knows?  I don't know their stories, but I do know that they came alive to Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war. With the cross of Jesus going on before.

We enjoyed a well-earned ice cream treat afterwards.

We're making memories of our own as we share these experiences.

Thanks, Girls, for sharing your gifts and accompanying me!

Journaling Prompt:  Write about a song that brings up a strong memory in your life.