Many things about the human condition are universal. Our ability to connect through music is one of them. Music is a powerful way to forge and strengthen bonds between people of all ages, faiths, races, brain health, genders, and whatever! Music, it would seem, is at the heart of our souls. I experienced the joy of music with Mom time after time and am so grateful to have learned as much as I did about its power as we lived with Alzheimer’s together.
The video clip below, of American teen Olivia Erway singing “How Great Thou Art” to her great grandmother is joyful and touching. Mom also knew this hymn, among hundreds of other songs. I was first introduced to it during the Thursday morning sing-alongs in ElderJail. I’m not a religious person, and, although I knew the words after awhile, I never did sing along to this song — kinda’ goes against my grain. That said, I appreciate the beauty of Olivia’s voice, and the power of music to build bridges across all kinds of divides.
Also, the video above reminds me of Australian Carol George singing to her “Nan.” Equally beautiful and touching.
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My Alzheimer's Story 