“Not at the Library”
Wednesday mornings are often the highlight of my week. Going to St. Joseph’s hospice is recharging for me. Although I feel my emotions being drawn out, and I see many more tears than anywhere else, there is a sense of peace and completion that goes beyond my vocabulary.
When children are faced with the terrible force of cancer, they really just want to get back to being children. The cancer is an obstacle that is standing in their way. I try to help the children work past the obstacles so that they can be fun loving children. With the Adult population it is different. For some, cancer is not an obstacle but a vehicle that is transitioning them form this world to the next. Some want the vehicle to slow down and others wish it to run the course as fast as possible. For the latter ones I feel like a guide, bringing peace to the families as they hand their loved one into the arms of their maker. Wether or not I believe the same as them it is inconsequential. It is my place just to be supportive in that short time. For the ones that want it to slow down I try to make the most of their time with a program I am now calling “Legato Legacy Works.”
“Ade” is a foot on the breaks kind of person. She wants to make most of her time that she has. Together we are working on a Legacy piece that features her poetry and some of her favourite songs. I’ve been recording our sessions for the past four weeks and I will compile the recordings into a CD for her family. She tells the story how when she was little she told her parents she was going to the library but really she was going to practice with a local jazz vocal group. She is well versed in the jazz standards and also pieces I’ve never heard of before. She talks to me like I’ve lived in the 30’s, “You remember this song right?” I politely shake my head and try to sight read as best as possible. It makes her so happy to sing the old songs that she grew up with. It disappoints her that she cannot sing the way she used to. I reinforce her as much as possible, encouraging her how remarkable she recalls her favourite tunes.
The term Legato is loosely translated as connected. These memories are helping her feel connected to this world and helps elevate the stress she feels from passing to the next. This person grew up with a deep appreciation for music, she encouraged it in all her children who went very far in music training. This legacy piece will help her family feel connected to the memories of their mother.
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