A Gifted Listener

Many times we hear about gifted musicians who can play music in a magical way. I know a woman who is a gifted listener of music, who listens in a magical way. She lives in a dementia unit at a nursing home where I play regularly. I come after dinner and play what is called my "Sundown Serenade," instrumental music on my guitar to help calm the residents.  This woman who I will call Mary listens to every song I play with rapt attention. Sometimes she closes her eyes and nods her head along with the rhythm, as if she were playing along with me in her head. After each song she brightens and applauds and says something like, 'oooh I could listen all night!"

Last night I  noticed she wore an Irish clannad ring and she looked Irish, so I played, "My Wild Irish Rose" and sure enough, she not only recognized the song, she sang the song aloud with me. After I was finished playing it,  I said, "You know that song!" and we sang it together:

"My wild Irish rose
the sweetest flower that grows
you may search everywhere but none can compare
with my wild Irish rose."

We sang it together quite a few times and then laughed. I found other songs she knew too like, "Simple Gifts," "Edelweiss," "Shenadoah." I had such a good time singing and playing with her that the hour flew by.

When it was time to go, she walked me to the elevator, pointed to it and said, "Can I open that for you?" (I had already pressed the button to call it, but she didn't notice) I told her, "You can say 'open sesame." She leaned closer and said to the door, "Open Sesame!" and in that instant the elevator door opened. She was so surprised and delighted with herself. I said, "You did it--thank you!" and she laughed and laughed. 
I laughed many times on the drive home about this!