Personal Stories

Terry’s Angels…Kate’s first bedside singing experience (account by the patient)

Ten years ago, just before Thanksgiving, my friend Terry's house caught on fire and he was burned badly trying to rescue his daughter. His burns were not so severe and he's fine now. But Terry was in the hospital for a long time, worked hard to heal his body and heart, has now made a full recovery, and his life has blossomed in amazing and beautiful ways. I'm so grateful to him for this account of the first singing I ever did at a bedside a decade ago with dear friends, Kris and Penny, on a beautiful Thanksgiving Day morning.

Kate

Terry’s Angels

I remember someone, a nurse, I think, coming into the room and announcing I had a visitor. I pushed against the walls to crawl out of my morphine cave to hear what she was saying. My eyes struggled, only able to let in a crack of horizontal light and then, exhausted, they fell shut again. Voices mumbled, words were spoken. I do not remember if I said anything or if I smiled or even moved, and then the voices turned to waves, waves to music.

My eyes pushed open again and made out three women standing at the foot of my bed singing. I did not recognize them as angels. I had never seen an angel before or had known one to pay a visit to me. They sang. I do not remember if there were lyrics, I did not recognize any of the tunes. But I do remember the music began to swirl and mix until it was blended with all things and all things were music and the music was sweet and the sweet was nourishing and washed my body clean of pain and discomfort. And the swirl lifted my bed, counter-clockwise, I remember, as it slowly rose on notes of music, lifted by angels blowing air into the notes, lifting, lifting till I was swirling in heaven on my bed, light pouring in on all sides. I remember the smiles in heaven, at the foot of my bed, on the faces of angels pouring forth their souls to nurture me. I whirled in heaven and all was pure, all was light and weightless, and time was dancing in the light.

I do not remember them leaving or how long they stayed in the room. I know they stayed forever, for they are with me now. I pass them on the street and their telltale smiles give them away. I have seen them in the most ordinary places. Even, one time, one served me an omelet at a cafe.

And angels like to sing. Singing is a way angels shower their love and love, after all, is the voice of an angel. Angels are born out of suffering and delivered in faith. They wander around like clouds poised over dry lands.

Angels can no longer hide from me now for they have shown me their hand and their voice. They are fearless…there is no place they will not go. In fact, they like to go to odd places. But if you have never seen one, you might not know where to look. I can tell you, if you're lucky, they will find you. Their eyes can only obey the command of a heart, and if your heart is open they will find you.