Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Musica mentis medicina maestae

A friend, who is the wife of the pastor of the church we used to attend before they moved on to another church, sent this to me in an e-mail the other day…

We have so many heartache stories that don't directly affect us, but those we love, serve, work with, or worship with. Lots of cancer. We have had 4 deaths in 2 weeks. Lots of crisis situations. I am beginning to suffer from compassion fatigue.

Compassion fatigue.

I can understand a little bit of how she feels.

Last Winter, a woman who I know slightly – she operated the beauty salon when we moved here in 1981 and cut my hair several times – came to our church because her church had canceled services because of poor road conditions. She brought her 6-year-old grandson, who was autistic and hyperactive. He wandered around the auditorium during the service playing with a cellphone. He came up to Richard and asked if we had a cellphone. Richard said yes and gave it to him, and a few seconds later he had turned it on. I sat in stunned disbelief because a few weeks earlier I had attempted to use that cellphone while I was out and about on an errand to the house of the very friend who sent me that e-mail, and I desperately needed to call her, and I  could not figure out how to turn it on.

The little boy died a few days ago. He went to bed that night and did not wake up in the morning. They think he might have had a bad reaction to some medication he was being given to manage the ADHD and the autism. Perhaps he had a fatal seizure.

Then I got the upsetting news Monday morning about my friend’s new grandbaby.

And then I read entry at the Far Side of 50 blog and found out something was seriously wrong with her daughter.

And then there were a couple of other things that happened before noon, and I found myself feeling drained and sad and gray inside.

And then I went on You-Tube

First I watched the silly parody of the Beyonce Single Ladies video with Justin Timberlake. I didn't laugh out loud but I did grin some...

and then I started listening to music, randomly as I thought of a song from the past that brought back a happy time – even if the songs weren’t particularly happy in themselves….

Cyndi Lauper--Time After Time  

Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton--Can’t Find My Way Home

The Rolling Stones--Moonlight Mile

Bonnie Raitt--Angel from Montgomery

Vince Guaraldi--Cast your Fate to the Wind

Bill Pursell--Our Winter Love

and some others… and after a while I could feel my spirits lifting… and lifting… And today, the news about Connie's daughter is still serious but not quite so grim. And prayers for my my friend's new grandson are being answered...


5 comments:

Cloudia said...

Thank you for breaking though the isolation of thinking we are the "only ones."

Loving the music!



Warm Aloha from Waikiki

Comfort Spiral

Oklahoma Granny said...

We have so many on our church prayer list and then I have additional friends, acquaintenances and family that are struggling too. Sometimes it gets to almost be too much. But this past Sunday, one of the members of our Sunday School class returned after 3+ months of hospitalization. He was only on a "pass" from the hospital but he was home for a few hours. Just seeing him and the miracle God has performed in his life is AMAZING! At one point there was little hope he would live. Now he's back - in rehab - but back. That one miracle lifted some of the heaviness I had been feeling.

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

Thanks Granny for sharing this. It is such a blessing to see God at work!

The Weaver of Grass said...

I heard of a tragedy involving a friend's son yesterday and today a friend has been diagnosed with cancer - both friends are amazingly bright and strong. That alone gives me cheer.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Hey! Thanks for thinking of Trica..she is much better..they do not know what caused her unconsciousness but they are working on trying to find the answers that we need to stop worrying. It may all take some time..it was a terribly stressful time for me..thanks for your prayers:)