It works both ways

 

People sometimes say, "you are so nice to go and play for people in nursing homes." But in truth, it helps me too. It works both ways. Today for instance, I was feeling really tired.  Just didn't get enough sleep, I guess. But went to pay a visit to a nursing home anyway. When I arrived, most of the residents were taking a nap. All except Tom, who plays guitar too and was up for a jamming session.

We played together a good hour or more. Everything from, "Stewball", "House of the Rising Sun", "Oh Suzanna", "My Girl", "Stand by Me", etc. He loves to howl and make up long endings for songs. We'd swap choosing a song to start and then we'd jam more. I actually rarely jam with others, so it was a real treat for me.  Tom is a delightful man but he has some kind of disability which makes him socially awkward. Not for me but I see that he spends most of his time alone in his room. 

When I was getting ready to leave, I told Tom that I had been feeling tired before I came over and that I felt better after singing with him. He said, "I made you  happy, didn't I?" And I said, "Yes, you did make me happy, Tom. You have a gift with music and I bet you make a lot of people happy with it. " and he said, "You do too."  I said, "thank you for making me happy today" and he replied, "you're very welcome." 

Pictured above is Misty who lives in the home. She actually posed for that photo as you can see! She is a very sweet dog and everyone at the home loves her.