[I wrote the following essay sometime last year, well before Covid 19 changed all of our lives. I haven’t been able to visit any eldercare facilities and sing with my sweet dementia friends in over six months. And the whole idea of being sick, and especially, being healthy, has taken on a much deeper meaning for me. But I decided…

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One of my dementia clients is very, very sad.  Alice is 100 years old.  She’s not quite five feet tall, and has always been a very active, energetic person.  Over the years I’ve been visiting with her, she’s told me repeatedly that she weighed just 2 ½ pounds when she was born, surviving against all odds.  She went to work…

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This may be disturbing.  When I tell you Ted’s story, you might think, ‘Oh, that’s just so sad and tragic, I don’t want to hear about it.’  To which my response is, ‘Get over it.’  Yes, it’s sad and tragic when people lose their memories…or their minds, or their sight, or their mobility.  But it’s a reality of life.  So…

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As I was leaving Beverly, one of my favorite dementia patients, I told her I was going to the beach for my birthday, and wouldn’t be coming next week. Seeing her slight frown, I said, “But I’ll bring you a seashell.” So a few days later I found myself at the shore, searching for shells – for Beverly and for…

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As I mentioned in my last post, I recently lost two of my favorite Musical Memories clients last week.  They were both fun and lovely women who allowed me into their lives during what turned out to be their final days on earth, for which I’ll be forever grateful. If you haven’t already, please read Call Me Eve! to learn…

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Here’s an update on my singing with elders and dementia patients:  For those who care about my ability to make a (modest) living doing what I love, I’m happy to report that I’m now working three days a week, so have achieved a level of “predictable income” which would make my dear departed mentor Haven very relieved.  I’m also doing…

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I work too hard.  I know that may be difficult for some people to believe.  After all, I don’t have a “real job”.  I have always leaned toward comfort and ease, as opposed to seeking out challenges and pushing the envelope.  I frequently describe myself as “lazy” – sometimes in a disparaging way, but often as a point of honor,…

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Let me start by saying that I know that some people are going to read this and feel sad, depressed and/or scared.  To those people I’ll just say, I’m sorry you don’t see this the way I do. Today I met with one of my favorite dementia patients.  Alice is a lovely, warm and rather lonely woman who is always…

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When I talk about my Musical Memories service where I sing to/with dementia patients, I refer to the sessions as “musical conversations”.  Lately I’ve been working with a few people who are definitely more interested in the conversation part. One of the most poignant conversations took place recently at a memory care center while I was making my rounds to…

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Forrest Haven Street-Allen Sept. 20, 1950 – Jan. 2, 2015 The world lost a shining star – and I lost a dear friend – when Haven Street-Allen passed away.  I first met Haven when she was Director of Human Resources at St. Edward’s University in Austin.  After repeatedly contracting with me  to do conflict resolution and employee training, Haven suggested…

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