The Pianist

A personal reflection on aging and our relationship with God

My dear friend had hip replacement surgery.  She is in her mid eighty’s.  Gratefully, the surgery was a success.  For the first time, she stayed in a rehabilitation center (rehab) for two weeks.  I visited her several times, and it was an eye-opener regarding aging.  Frequently, I visit sick people in hospitals, rehab or assistant living.  This visit was totally different and special.   A journey that rejuvenated my soul.  My Faith and my heart have been touched.  My whole experience was brought to life by the performance of a pianist.

On one Friday evening, I stopped by and visited my friend.   It was a very cold, windy, and snowy evening in the middle of December.  All the residents were grouped in the living room.  Some of the residents were permanent, and some temporarily in rehab like my friend.  Family and friends were sitting next to some of the residents.

Ambiance At The Rehab

The living room was big and crowded.  With a Yamaha baby grand piano in mahogany color.  The beautiful piano located in the center was surrounded by many chairs occupied by the audience.  It looked majestic, outstanding, intimidating, and dominating the scene.  The floor was covered with a bright green carpet.  Walls had wallpapers with a cheerful flowery design.  Every corner and empty space of that room was accented with fresh flowers and huge green plants.  Sunlight was almost disappearing for the rest of the day.  Cascades of different light colors touched the many glass windows.  The darkness of the night was slowly falling over.  On the background, the snow seemed like crystals flickering on the air.  The ambiance was spectacular.  It really looked like a Christmas card scene.

My friend sat alone and sad.  Unexpectedly, my friend saw me.   Happily surprised, she could not contain herself and started to cry.  Running up towards her I kissed and hugged her as hard as I could.  Without any hesitations, I sat next to her.  Tightly, she held my hand, and I could feel her bony fingers as part of mine.  Precisely, we were sitting near the piano next to a very nice elderly woman.  She had lived in this place for six years.   The atmosphere was very festive.  The staff and nurses were going around mending the residents and guests.  They served wine to those that could drink it, or punch to those under medications.  Visitors were diverse with gentlemen, ladies, and children from all origins.

The Waiting of The Pianist

Everybody was waiting for the Pianist.  The waiting time seemed eternal.  I looked around slowly and with attention.  The residents looked happy with the presence of their family and friends. Immediately,  I thought I could be one of them.  Contemplating that scenario, my world stopped.  My entire body petrified.  We waited fifteen minutes for the grand arrival.

Somewhere in the Bible, God stated that one minute in Heaven could be like many years on Earth, or a minute on Earth could be like many in Heaven.  That was exactly what happened to me.  My life passed in front of me like fast forwarding a movie.  Slowly, I put myself in their shoes.   It was a little bit scary to look at their expressions, and body movements.  Many thoughts and questions invaded my mind.

I asked myself:  how did they look younger?  How did they feel surrounded by laughs and happiness?   Why they could not move, or talk?  Did they have a family?  How did they end up here?  How did they feel with younger people around them?  Did they feel aging?  Literally, my brain had a short-circuit.

The Arrival of The Pianist

The Pianist arrived.  A gentleman maybe in his late sixties.  He was very well spoken, elegantly dressed, sweet, and energetic.  The Pianist introduced every piece of music with their author and background information.  Each one of them was situated at the time that was written, and it sounded professional.  All the songs were old, and every resident knew them.  The songs were from famous singers like Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, and others.  Those songs were beautiful and meaningful.  I was inside my own world.

In an instant, my friend looked at me and I looked at her.   We were immersed in similar worlds with the same kind of questions and feelings.  There were no differences in our ages.  That moment was unique, deep and profound.  Something clicked between us.  It was “like magic”.  The same phrase used by Megan Ryan in the movie, Sleepless in Seattle.

The Pianist was talented and articulated with a youthful look.  His professionalism mesmerized and attracted the audience.  We did not want him to stop.  The audience entered in a trance.  The reactions of every single individual caught my attention.  Even the staff members were overwhelmed with emotions.   My mind could not stop running.  Many different kinds of questions, thoughts, and uncertainties crossed my mind again.  What about my children?  Would they take care of me?  Why is it a burden to take care of the elderly?  How am I aging?  Is there a prevention plan that could be followed?

The Best Song Played by The Pianist

The concert was an hour-long.  Everybody wanted the Pianist to continue his show.  It was announced that the concert was finalizing.  People were strongly applauding, and asking for more.  The Pianist remarked that this song reminded him of his mother.  We were all impacted and captivated by his performance.  My friend and I were very impressed and touched.  She grabbed my hand and squeezed it with all her strength making me feel her heart in my hands, in my soul.  Overwhelmed with emotions, I could not stop crying.  The worst of all is that I do not remember the name of the song.

As we were listening to the song, we heard in the lyrics something about the Will of God is all that it matters.  Everybody was shocked, including me.  The lyrics contained questions like:  Were we all approaching the end of our lives?  What would happen?  Who is God?  Did not He promise eternal life for those that love and follow Him?

The residents were chatting between them.  They expressed that we should not be afraid of anybody or anything.  God is everything and, He never abandons us.  Everybody was speechless and reflective.  The world stopped for each one of us in the room.  Is this a coincidence?  Maybe, the Pianist played that song on purpose.

How The Concert Impacted Our Friendship

The concert was over, and I took my friend to her room.  She was in a wheelchair.  I drove her through the halls and elevators of that building like if I was racing in Nascar.  We were going fast, and it seemed we had an emergency.  The staff observed our race with curiosity.  My friend did not complain at all.  She was lost in her thoughts.

We arrived at her room, and she smiled and told me not to leave.   She desperately wanted to let me know how was life for her.  The lyrics of the song made her reflect.  Death is a concept familiar to her.  It is closer each day.  She really wants to go to Heaven.  God had blessed and loved her here on Earth with the gift of her children.  Words disappeared from my vocabulary.  I did not know what to say.  My heart was pounding.

Farewell

An air of serenity flowed inside the room.  My whole body was trembling.  A mix of emotions took over.  She noticed it.  Suddenly, she began to tell me how special our friendship was to her.  In a matter of seconds, she happily expressed how thankful she was to God for allowing the concert to happen.  My perception of our chat was like a type of farewell.  I felt my head spinning like my 25 years old Whirlpool washer machine.

For the first time in my entire life, a friend that I love and is close to me was approaching death.  Our eyes were full of tears.  We looked and hugged each other with the strongest hug just real friends could get.  The love and support my friend had provided my family and me throughout these years are priceless.  Everything was very emotional.  I could not say the zillions of things I wanted to tell her.

The Divine Providence

We both agreed that the concert was an act of Divine Providence.  The concert was an event that God allowed in our lives.  The performance of the Pianist and the lyric of the songs made us realize how meaningful, loved and important we are to each other.  The love of God and His mercy had strengthened and prepared my friend to wait for the moment of death.

Death is something that can happen anytime, anywhere to anyone.  It is the only event known in our lives that will happen for sure.  The songs stirred all the emotions of all of us present in the concert.   This visit to my dear friend opened up for me a little window in Heaven.  It allowed me to appreciate the meaning of our friendship.

I had to leave.  With sadness, we said goodbye to each other.  After a big hug, my friend begged me to visit her again and bring her a book about Divine Providence, and the Bible.

From time to time I like to write inspirational stories.  I invite you to read another one that I wrote titled:  “The Magic of a Cup of Coffee”.  In it I present how a cup of coffee can help us foster friendships.  Enjoy!