Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: Isaiah 35:6
I was surrounded by people waiting for their food. A woman was wheeled in, a new person. Her face was angry. She turned to look at me and gave me a hateful look.
Few people talked, even though they could. One was a refined looking lady with gray hair. She could not speak. She had been a choir director, now she was silent. Her daughter came by to coax her to eat.
The lady with the hateful look had lowered her head to her plate. She was trying to eat like a dog. A horrified doctor spoke. "What are you doing?" he called to her, "What are you DOING?"
Many of us were fortunate to be doing anything. She was trying to survive.
Our directer of entertainment spoke one night. She had her electronic keyboard out. She played both keyboard and guitar very well. "Has anyone got a favorite song?" No one spoke. We knew she was working on a song titled "I'm Going to Leave You as Soon As I Fix My Truck".
I asked for my favorite hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." The lady had no music for it. She shuffled through music books. "Have you heard of Cokesbury?" she asked. I had, a long time ago. She found the song there.
She began to play the hymn. People sang along. Then the mute choir lady began to sing. Her face had changed from its vague look to an expression of concentration. Her voice was clear. She knew the words too. Something had taken place. Now she could sing.
It has always fascinated me that often, those who stutter can sing beautifully, as this is another track in the brain. I suppose it is entirely possible that one who can no longer speak, could still sing, and do so beautifully. Thank you for this lovely post.
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