Everyone in Harmony

I watched an a cappella group perform on the news one day. When I think of a cappella group, I think of it being all male. The man that was speaking for the group said they welcomed female singers, and they were called, "Everyone in Harmony". They were definitely in harmony, and they certainly didn't need musical instruments to make them sound wonderful.

I love Motown and my all-time favorite group would be "The Temptations". I watched their movie dozens of times just to watch them perform, and hear them sing. Everyone at that time dressed the same, they sang and danced in perfect harmony. The sounds they could make were incredible and I got such enjoyment watching them. Currently, I doubt there is any bigger act than the Taylor Swift Tour. What a tremendous amount of strength she must have to be able to not only sing like she does, but does it while she dances in heels.  Everyone on her stage is in harmony with the other dancers, singers, and band. 

It got me thinking, what does everything in harmony look like in other parts of our lives. Let's take the example of having a walking partner. When I watch people walking together, it is evident that they have walked together for some time. It is like they walk as one. Everyone is in sync; every step makes one sound from two people. They are chatting away and just getting those steps in. Walking in harmony for health. 

On the flip side, we have all seen the couples that are not walking in harmony. For example, let's just say, shopping. He is generally several feet behind the Mrs. Probably asking the stupidest question ever, "what do you need?". Don't they understand, you need it all, at the very least you need to look at it all. Did they not see that list you have whipped out of the purse with dozens of things written on it. I think that is why men are often spotted sitting, and waiting, on any seat provided in stores and malls.  

To me this is the ultimate "everyone in harmony" story there is. My dear friend, who is a reflexologist, gives treatments to clients between their chemotherapy appointments. To allow the chemo to be fully effective, the reflexology is given a few days after the treatment. Reflexology helps the body to get rid of toxins, and is effective for symptom management that often results from chemotherapy drugs. In the UK, reflexology is one of the most popular complementary treatments used by people with cancer. Some centers offer reflexology treatments free to their patients. They do it differently and offer a treatment while getting chemo to help relax the client.  

Everyone is in harmony if you pair the elderly with children, animals or music. When you watch an elderly woman take a wee baby and cuddle in her arms it is absolute perfection. They have a curve in their arm that a baby just falls into. I once cared for a midwife in the last days of her life. She wanted to see the newborn and the mother graciously shared her baby with my patient. As this very elderly woman reached up to take the child, no one questioned if that was safe. She took that baby and cuddled it close to her, just like she had done hundreds of times before. That baby and elderly person were in total harmony. Just watching that interaction nearly made me weep.

During my long career I would enjoy "the entertainment" that would come to share their talent with the residents. The people that were deemed "the entertainment" had played together for decades and the music just flowed from them. The resident's toes were tapping, and they sang along. Everyone was in harmony at that time. In my world there is nothing that is more fascinating than watching someone, "play by ear". They will simply say, "start and I'll join in", and that they do, they join in never missing a beat. 

I have also witnessed animals around the elderly and the wee ones. For some reason the animals seem to understand how to keep calm. They can be lunatics for the rest of their day, but they are calm and focused when around the vulnerable. The senior homes that have in-house pets are wonderful for those that live there. The residents take turns feeding the pets, and they begin to think of the pet as their own. During my time working on Palliative and Long-Term Care, I had the privilege of seeing dogs come to visit and provide comfort to the clients that lived there.  

When my daughter was a baby, and the time came for her to be transferred from her bassinette to her crib something began to happen. We had a house cat at the time, and that cat insisted on sleeping with her. I would close the door to her room, and somehow it would be open by morning, and the cat was snuggled in beside the sleeping baby. People were mortified by that, and I was concerned as well. They assured me the cat would suffocate her. I had not heard one story of a child being suffocated by a cat, but apparently others had. So, I set up a surveillance, AKA, me sitting in the room, no baby monitors at that time. Baby goes to sleep, cat enters the room, glances at me as much as to say, "watch this". The cat tenderly jumps into the crib, lays itself down next to the baby. Yes, her face was towards the cat because at that time, you must lay a baby on their tummy or they will choke. In a few seconds the baby picked her head up and turned to the other side. I knew all would be well in that room. I have to say, my daughter was a great sleeper, and I believe it was because of the cat. Also, that baby is in her 40s now, and is passionate about animals. She is an advocate for any kind of animal and is one of the best pet owners I know.  

In closing, I want to share something magical that is happening to our family. We are all enjoying the benefits of a special caregiver for mom. This person is nothing short of an angel to our family. The love, knowledge and kindness she shows towards mom's aging needs has made us feel like we are all in harmony. To watch in just a short amount of time, the harmony that Mom and she have, just warms my heart. I realize that there are times when family members simply can't provide the harmony that is needed. As much as our family members appreciate what we do, sometimes it is good to include another person, just to be there to make more days special. Caregivers have a powerful way of bringing everyone together in harmony. Thank you to those amazing people.