Have you heard about music therapy? Sounds a bit like black art? You wouldn’t believe how well it works. It’s the one therapy session we never attended, and I still haven’t. But Pat stayed in during one session today, because Pádraig had a speech valve on and was sitting in his wheel chair – and the therapist made a (very generous) exception. Pat said that it was very impressive how the therapist connected to Pádraig, how Pádraig reacted to words that were not said but sung by the therapist. There is a real, tangible, almost physical connection happening via the medium of music. More-than-meets-the-eye-stuff.

I liked the comment earlier about stuff being OBVIOUS for Pádraig. So here are a few things, 1-2-3, that became obvious to me over the past months.

(1) Never give up
Whatever happens, we will continue. This is not a one-hour-a-week/month-visit-your-ill-family-member-situation until they get better and then move on. Nothing and no-one will put us ‘into our place’ or convince us that it might be better for us to ‘move on’ with our life. We are his voice, his interpreter, his carer, his advocate.

(2) Time does not matter
What does not happen today, will happen tomorrow, next week, or next month. The fact is that it will happen. We  realised that our time scale just changed. The urgency is gone and we’re all in this for the long run. It’s not a quick three-month rehab; something like getting back the use your arm after it was broken, or getting back to walk after a hip replacement. This is long haul.

(3) Because he’s worth it
Your family member is worth it – whatever it takes. Patients in Pádraig’s situation have to be treated as humans with dignity, not as bad investment cases. This can never be about return on investment (ROI). Helping and supporting someone when they most need it is about human dignity, ethical convictions, and so OBVIOUSLY the right thing to do. Follow the ROI route, think it through, and you’ll end up in hell. Seriously.

Love. Obviously.

Just heard about the decision by the European Court of Justice that companies like Google will have to delete information from their search results, if that information turns out to be old. What should I do with the following (that is if you do spot the ‘odd’ one out)? How did Richard get in there?

 

 

 

Today’s German Music Tip
Lolita, Seemann Deine Heimat (old but re-recorded). – Well, I never thought I’d post this song, it’s a real “Schnulze”, but it’s short:)
What’s hot
Sincerity
What’s cold
Being mean and narrow minded
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Artig (heard it on the radio today and realised that I had not heard anyone saying that for decades:)