Today there were 2 trips to the local nursing homes.
4th period Guitar class went to the yellow nursing home next to the grocery store. The nurses asked if we could come at 11:30 so we could play during lunch before they started nap time. So we gave a lunchtime concert!
After playing we shook hands with the residents; one lady asked me where I was from, and I said Chicago (it took 3-4 times before she understood me properly). Then she went on to tell me about how her daughter lives in Florida, and her grandchildren are going to be heading off to college soon.
These visits always bring up interesting conversations with the students; they never fail to comment on how soft the residents’ hands are. They also normally make statements like, “I want to die before I get old!” This time, I felt like the students were really putting themselves in the position of those residents. One asked whether their children come to visit; some do have visitors, but others are very much alone. The student’s response: “That’s awful! They must be so lonely! I don’t want to die like that.” It is my prayer that our music can minister to the souls of these people who may be living a lonely end to their days.
Since we had started the concert early, we also had some extr time at the end of the class period, so I took the guitar students to the Hieber’s cafe and treated them to coffee and hot chocolate.
Right after lunch, the high school orchestra went to Luise Klaiber Haus, the nursing home next door to the school. It was an unusual concert because it occurred during nap time. The number of people attending was definitely lower than normal.
I asked my favorite old man to take some pictures. He always has on bright shirts and walks around town with his trusty cane at his side and a cloth bag around his neck. Today he was wearing a neon green button-up shirt. He gladly took lots of photos of the orchestra!
After the performance, we again shook hands with the residents. One elderly lady walked up to me, grasped my hands, and with a shaky voice said, “Ich bin blind…” (I am blind). She was moved with emotion by the music. I told her in German, “I hope that you could see something again through our music. That is my prayer for you. God bless you!”
Though fewer people heard the music, I think it may have touched them more deeply.
