Personal Perspective: When sharing music in the hospital with hurting families, I find myself almost envious of their faith.
In a hospital setting, spirituality can be a powerful coping mechanism.“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”At one of the hospitals where I work as a music therapist, I recently had a referral to visit with a young man, in his 30s, who was in a coma and on a ventilator in the intensive care unit . He recently had some sort of cardiac event. When I arrived at the room, the"scene" I walked in on gave me pause.
Soon after, I went in. His mother told me that their family had just decided to take him off life support. But she wanted him to hear some music first. “Because he loves music.” I took a breath, then I sat and took out my guitar, and I played. She held his hand and stroked his head. Something made me move into a"lullaby" version ofas that was the last song she wanted him to hear. She said that her faith was telling her that he was going to a better place, and that it was okay . We sang it together. And yes, there was. I tried to hold mine back but was only partially successful.
I have a complicated relationship with"faith." I grew up in a traditional Catholic family, and have moved away from that as an adult. I’ve had some periods of going to church regularly but more periods of not. And I can’t say that I’ve ever fully bought in. I certainly have never felt like those referenced above. And maybe envious isn’t the right word, but I’ve always felt after those sessions that I may be missing something.
Recently, I’ve started to think more about"spirituality"—and we know that"spirituality" doesn’t have to mean religion, although it can. I’ve recently found some interest and comfort in reading some of the philosophies of Buddhism and Stoicism, and have started to explore finding more"spirituality" in my own life. I want to feel how those patients and their families felt when faced with loss or adversity.
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