Tag: Stories

The other day, I was chatting with *Patricia. While we discussed some of our past travels and highlighted fond memories, she recounted her trip to Sacramento, pointing out that she didn’t really remember what happened that weekend, the restaurants and tours all a whirlwind,  but she said, “I  remembered who I was with.” As a young person, this really hit home, a powerful reminder of the lifelong value of friendships, where conversations and the sense of belonging last long after the destination has faded away. *the name of interviewee has been changed to respect their privacy

As an aspiring musician, I definitely have my days where I wonder if it’s all worth it: the scraggly notes that tangle themselves together as you stumble through a new piece, the long practice hours, the callouses, the nervousness before concerts–what does it all stand for? Well, after speaking with *Laurie, a former dancer and musician, I learned that music is powerful because it can provide a playful escape from reality. She said that “ Music makes me feel like I’m 10 years old again. I used to be a dancer, and I can’t dance anymore, but music lets me go new places and feel like I can...

 As I was flipping through my journal, reminiscing on life’s happenings pre-pandemic, I landed on a page describing a trip I had made with Theresa*, a fellow musician, to celebrate one of her friend’s 82nd birthdays ! As we made our way through our duets and hymns (albeit, imperfectly), I watched as she smiled, savoring every moment of our mini “concert”. After we hit the last note and packed up our instruments, she told us about how playing the piano (and crocheting !)  has helped her to stay content as she ages. It gave her something to look forward to, a creative outlet that...