Grandma Henke

We wanted our children to feel the spirit of giving to others when they were young.   “It’s more fun to give than receive” doesn’t really set well on young ears that are eagerly anticipating Santa Clause and opening the brightly wrapped presents beneath the tree.     One of the ways I feel we accomplished this was by helping them and some of their friends prepare a program to take to the people living in one of the local nursing homes.

We practiced with them for several weeks, teaching them harmony and little dances and actions to make the program more exciting.    We called our little group “The Music Makers” and everyone had a brightly colored gingham shirt or dress.   

The first year after we’d formed this little group of singers we took them to Porter’s Nursing Home.    The children were a little nervous at first but soon got into the spirit of it when they saw the joy it brought to the tired, old faces of the residents there.    I had explained before hand that they could expect anything because many of the people were child like and innocently might do things to interrupt the program.    One of the residents in a wheel chair was determined to herd them all into a corner away from danger, others talked loudly, others sang along … and the children performed magnificently.

When we were through with the program we asked if we could walk through the halls singing carols to those who couldn’t attend the program.   Our family stood at the door of one lady who was making a loud noise and rocking back and forth in her bed.    She didn’t have teeth, her hair was thin and sticking out and she was very thin and as we sang it seemed to me we were agitating her so I tried to move the children on down the hall.     I hadn’t noticed that Angella, our 8 year old daughter, had moved in to stand near her bed.

“Mom, she wants us to stay.   She’s singing with us,” Angi said quietly.   I went over to the lady and asked if she wanted us to come in and she nodded her head and rocked faster on her bed.    We quietly moved to stand around her bed and began to sing, “Away in a Manger” and this tiny little woman began to make her noise again but this time I could her the melody of the song we were singing.     We sang four or five more songs to her, Angie holding onto her hand, and gradually she relaxed into her bed and fell asleep with a peaceful smile on her face.

Lynn and I were in tears as we all quietly tip toed from her room.  We were in awe that Angi had been so in tune to this sweet little woman’s spirit that she could understand the unspoken words the rest of us would have missed.   We’d gone to cheer up the sad and lonely but came away with the Christmas spirit burning brightly in our hearts.