♪♫Around the Corner and Under the Tree♫♪

I wish I could give a definite credit to the song line above. But alas I cannot. The history of the song is fairly unknown. There are children's folk songs and a few adapted versions throughout history, but the origin is said to have been sometime around World War I. The specific version I'm quoting here is from a resident of mine. She has been, hands down, my favorite resident since I began my job just over a year ago. She was an ideal client for music therapy. After a session she once told me that she loved when we brought her music because it gave her life purpose and meaning. She would often sit and sing this little song to herself or to anyone who would listen, "Around the Corner, and under the tree. The Gallant Major made love to me. I said nay nay, I said No No, but ever since I've been there once I always want to go, Around the corner..." She also once told me that she liked music so much because it was her, "special friend that never left [her] lonely." She demonstrated this on a daily basis. Rarely was she silent, and every time she spoke she sang. Her song ended tonight. She left our world and finally was released home to God.  I'm sure she's already acclimated herself to the choirs of angels and is singing along in their celestial harmonies by now. Moments like this are the most difficult parts of my job. Very rarely do people leave alive... most of the time we escort them out in a generic black bag. People leave footprints on our hearts. This resident has left some very deep ones on mine. Over the past week as she began to decline there were many 1:1 sessions/visits with her since when she was most uncomfortable and agitated, music was the only thing that could calm her down and help her sleep. Tonight I came back from my dinner break just in time to experience her releasing her final breath. It's probably only fitting that she is the first resident to pass while I'm present in the room.  Knowing it's coming does not really make it easier. I grieve for her, and I know that her absence will be felt in my music groups the rest of this week and in the foreseeable future. I am sad, though I know she is happier now she is free of this world and her struggles within it. I grieve for the loss. But, my reality is my residents are not going to leave the building alive. We are their final stop before their eternity. When I am no longer affected by the loss of those I serve, then I no longer belong in the profession. It's sad to think that I won't hear her voice in the halls chirping out the words "Around the Corner..." She lived a good and long life and will forever hold a special place in my heart... around the corner and under a tree.

Since I last wrote many things have happened. I finally bought myself a more reliable vehicle, though I had to add another loan payment. It's not new, it's used, and the payment is minor. So far that has proved to be a good decision as I have put 4000 miles on the vehicle since I purchased it in September and it is still going strong. Many of that 4000 miles put on in under a month came from a little road trip. I used my scholarship award from AMTA to go to the NMT training institute in Fort Collins, CO from October 6 through the 9th. I'm now a certified Neurologic Music Therapist in addition to my MT-BC.  Least favorite part about the trip: driving through Nebraska. Nebraska is boring. Favorite part: realizing how much I was already doing and then having the tools to analyze whether or not what I'm doing is effective and really understanding why I do those things and why they work. It was an excellent experience and I met some great contacts. I would love to do the graduate program at Colorado State University should I ever go back to school. I love the scientific theory behind all of it. Someday, maybe.

Halloween is coming up and I'm in full costume planning mode. The nice thing about the setting I work in, is that costumes are encouraged. I love an excuse to dress up and I always go all out.  This year I'm going as Cruella DeVil. I even found an online tutorial on how to do my makeup to look like Cartoon Cruella's. Hopefully it turns out as awesome as I want it to.

I'm working on taking it easy this week, as I seem to be coming down with something. My throat has been getting sore in the mid afternoon to evenings the past two days. Part of it is probably linked to the emotion of the passing of my above resident. But, I'm not taking chances. Been taking Vitamin C and drinking my Emergen-C. Thank you to my few but loyal readers for taking the time to read about my resident and to honor her memory with me simply by being present in this forum. Good night everyone.