A Song in My Heart

During the course of my class I've learned some pretty amazing things.  A lot of it hasn't been just about medicine--it's been about people, relationships, connections, and empathy.  In all honesty I wasn't sure about taking a CNA class--it isn't exactly the kind of job an ex-law student takes, but now I am so glad that I did.  I feel like I've grown in so many ways.  The experiences that I've garnered will not only make me a better health care provider as I move on through the ranks, but will also help make me an overall better individual.  Many of the connections I've made with the people I've cared for I will never forget.

There is one particularly interesting fact that I learned that I think speaks volumes about us, as human beings.   As Alzheimer's robs the brain's ability to transform the patient's thoughts and emotions into formal language, the patient's ability to sing remains.  The reason being is that formal speech and singing are on opposite sides of the brain.  

So, to think that even after patients are robbed of their ability to speak that they can still express themselves through the songs that they know and love is amazing.  If you think about what music does for us--how it helps us connect and relate to each other on such an emotional level--it becomes no surprise that a form of expression that is so meaningful, to us as individuals, outlasts the spoken word.

"In the depth of my soul there is 
A wordless song - a song that lives 
In the seed of my heart. 
It refuses to melt with ink on 
Parchment; it engulfs my affection 
In a transparent cloak and flows, 
But not upon my lips."

--Khalil Gibran