“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
~ Ernest Hemingway
Last year Reinette Jones told me about her piano lessons. She does it through mUsiKcare; a program on campus started by Dr. Vicki McVay and others in 2013 to teach adults to play piano. They do it in small groups, and incorporate wellness into the curriculum. The more Reinette shared her experience, the more I wanted to do it, too. I was 48. The minimum age was 50.
Over Christmas break I discovered that I’m at an increased risk of contracting Alzheimer’s. I learned one of the best ways to delay or minimize the disease is to keep your mind exercised, and one of the best methods for that is playing music. Two weeks later I turned 49. A week after that, UK PR released a story about mUsiKcare that featured a video with Reinette‘s class. Things were lining up. I emailed Dr. McVay and said something like, “I know I’m only 49, but can I join?” Followed by, “It seems very weird to say I’m only 49!” She emailed straight back and said who cares, come on!
I can’t begin to tell you how much I look forward to our weekly classes. From the very first I felt welcomed and supported. I never feel pushed in any way. Dr. McVay is a pure joy. She lights up the room with her kindness. Her assistants Erin and Katie are just as sweet as they can be. They make a great team. We do fantastic meditative exercises, too. My class meets on Thursday and I’m usually more than ready for that five minutes of stress relief. Today, that was especially true. In fact, I almost didn’t take my camera because my morning was so rocky, but I’m sure glad I did because we had a cool impromptu drum circle. The stress lifted. The rest of my day was as blessed as any I’ve ever had. There’s nothing so bad that you can’t overcome it with music, laughs, and kind-hearted, happy people in your life. I am so very thankful that only 49 was old enough.
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