6 months of Gratitude: Day 13, 7/13/13 "Music"

OH my--- I had a whole plan in my head to write about music yesterday (7/13) and I fell asleep before I wrote. :( Better late than never,  right?!?

As most of you know, I am a music therapist by trade and started my career in end-of-life care with my post-graduate internship at Mt. Area Hospice in Asheville, NC. I found almost immediately that end-of-life care is where I needed to be in my career. I loved my time in Asheville and learned SOOOO much in 7 short months. My career has taken many twists and turns since then, but music continues to speak throughout my life.

This weekend, I have the pleasure of working with 14 MT-BCs (board-certified music therapists) in Newark, DE, co-teaching the Hospice & Palliative Care Music Therapy Institute. Yesterday, I presented about the needs and clinical problems of the dying in hospice care. Well teaching the group about the death vigil, I chained 4 songs together-- On The Wings Of A Dove, The Water Is Wide, Peace Like A River and One Day At A Time. The purpose of chaining songs together is to allow the music to continue without stopping and it provides a support presence to the dying patient and their loved ones who are present. I don't know what made me put these songs together, I never have before. I moved myself and actually relaxed while singing these songs all together like this.

What did I learn from this? I cannot forget to keep music as a center point in my life. I also need to find a musically outlet in my life. Any ideas???