Winter Solstice 2017 – a powerful day, already. I was playing harp at a local memory care center. I’d invited several choristers from Siskiyou Singers, the chorus in which I sing, to come sing Christmas carols with harp for the folks at the care center. Our former landlady was one of the singers. We’d had the privilege of living on her property and caring for her 3 dogs & chickens whenever she & her husband traveled. Hobart & Splash had crossed the Rainbow Bridge over the last year or so. Only Sami was left and just recently, her nearly 14-year-old body had started to show those ominous signs of failing.
The Gang of Five
During our singing, Pat got the word that Sami needed to be put down that day. Such a sad moment…yet the singing went on. Later that afternoon, Lloyd & I went over to Sami’s home to bid her a warm aloha and whisper sweet cheerleading into her ears. We reminded her that Splash and Hobart were waiting just over the Rainbow Bridge and that Diamond and Ginjo would be there, too. They’d all go romping in the ocean, there was no doubt. Lloyd mentioned Sami being “the great escape artist” and we all had a good chuckle and reminiscence over that.
But wait! This is a healing harp blog…and indeed, I had a powerful opportunity to use my harp with Sami. I remember the night the thunder was VERY loud, unusually relentless. Sami was staying with us in our home as her “parents” were away. She was distraught, whining steadily, and quite anxious, due to the thunder. Nothing I thought of worked for more than a few seconds. Finally, I remembered that dogs are fond of harp therapy, too. So I brought my hospice harp into the room with her, Hobart, and Splash and started playing my most soothing tunes. Soon, Sami lost all her edgy anxiety, finally laid down (for the first time in an hour) on her bed, and calmed down to the point where she was genuinely relaxed. Even when the thunder went off, she remained calm. Thank you, Sami, for reminding me that the music is good for our best friends, too.
