Music Soothes The Soul

Cary's grandmother passed away quietly during the early morning hours today.  She was at peace and ready to move on. We visited Mama over Christmas in the nursing home. She was ill then, and we knew that she would be passing from this world in a short time. She had been drifting in and out for several days, and was very weak and unable to talk.  The family thought she may be unresponsive to us.  It was Christmas Night, and I asked Cary to sing Christmas carols to her. He gently sang to carols, and Mama responded by smiling and nodding and making eye contact. Afterwards, she managed to say "I love you".  There have been many studies showing that music helps to bring calmness to those who are actively dying and that it eases their pain and stress. We certainly experienced the wonder of that on Christmas Night. 

They say that people die how they lived. Mama was such a sweet and loving lady, right through the end.  We will always remember the first time Cary took me to Evansville, 16 years ago. Mama held our faces between her hands, looked us in the eyes and said "do you two love each other"?  No one had ever asked us that before, so it was quite a "moment" and neither of us were sure how to respond! But she knew, even before we did. We will miss you, Mama. You have touched our lives forever and we have many wonderful memories to sustain us. 

Brenda

Healthy Resolutions

Happy New Year!  Like so many others, did you make a New Year's resolution to focus on your health in 2010? There are  a lot of health benefits that you can get from singing! Singing does the following:  Gives the lungs a workout
- Good flow of oxygen to the blood system and brain
- Tones up intercostal muscle and the diaphragm
- Posture correction and back straightening
- Stomach and bladder strengthening
- Good exercise for abdominal muscles
- Great aid to communication and breathing
- Helps reduce the feelings of depression
- Neurological improvement
- A good therapy for those who have had strokes resulting in speech impairment
- Improves confidence and discipline
- Strengthens the immune system.  And, don't forget to sing for pure entertainment and fun!   I hope to see you soon!

Musically, Cary