From: Karen
Date: Thu Dec  4 16:16:47 MST 2003
Subject: My 2 cents on the caroling

My Grandma Mary spent several weeks in the TMC Hospice; she was there on her 84th birthday in March 2001 after she stopped her ineffective chemo, and she was there for the last two weeks of her life, that August. She slipped into a coma in the second week, but she wouldn't, or couldn't, let go of her last grip on life. The family members that came and went in the last week began a the "vow of silence," believing that our talking and frequent outburts of crying might have been keeping her there. (Aside to Sue--She's like Ashton, who doesn't want to go to bed when something's "going on.") After days of coma and silence in her room, my mother, two sisters, and Aunt Linda (for a little while) sang a cappella to her for a long time...songs she liked, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "You Can't Take That Away from Me," "The Rainbow Connection," "Proud Mary." Happy songs. An hour after we left the hospice, Grandma finally could let go in peace, and I think our singing presence had a lot to do with it. Consider it a kind of "Traveler's Aid," if you will.

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