Hour of Enchantment
It was a beautiful spring morning in the Northwest as I arrived at the nursing home with my harp to play my usual hour for the residents. I had created a special therapy for them, joining with a massage therapist. She massaged their hands while I played the harp. We gathered wheel chairs together in the chapel room for the hour of music, and sometimes went to individual rooms, as requested. Some magical moments happened around this experience. The following is one of them.
At the entrance to the home was a sun -filled lobby with two bird cages. The pair of bright red and yellow Love Birds always greeted me as I walked in. This day they were in fine voice, chirping and singing. I even felt they must have recognized me by this time. We whistled back and forth as I carried the harp in.
As I passed the garden area I could not help but note how especially beautiful it was today, with the small water fountain and flowers. In the corner a large bird cage had been built and there were four white doves in them. A baby bird had just been hatched, and this was a point of great interest for everyone to watch daily. One of the patients was sitting alone watching the fish in the water fountain, contemplating. A little statue in the fountain was the figure of a man with a laughing face, and he was holding flowers.
The massage therapist didn’t come today, and it was too nice to be inside, so I set up the harp out in the garden. The nurses thought this was a wonderful idea. The wheelchairs arrived and circled around me. The old folks were given straw hats to protect them from the sun, and I wore one too.
I began to play the harp and the doves were so delighted they began to coo in a chorus with the music. It was a wonderful symphony of gentle water sounds from the fountain, the doves cooing, and the warm sun with gentle breezes blowing through the garden.
I played some of the old hymns, sang some songs, and played some improvisational melodies to echo the sound of the doves. The garden was transformed into a magical hour as everyone became a part of the harmony.