Another session at our newest facility, an adult day care setting, brings more joy and more transformation.
A new gentleman joined the group. He seemed reluctant and confused at first as he sat in his wheelchair wondering what to make of this group of people laughing and singing and dancing. I managed to get him to smile but he did not participate unless one of the staff or a Kairos team member held his hands and moved them for him. As we continued with the program for the day, I began to see a glimmer in his eyes that told me he was absorbing what we were doing. I was comfortable that I could now approach him and request his permission to participate more readily. I took his hands and moved them to the music. Within a few minutes, he was initiating the arm movements himself, looking straight into my eyes and smiling broadly. What a thrill for me to see this transformation so quickly on a person’s first day.
When he was being wheeled out to return home, I took his hand, thanked him for being my dance partner and told him I looked forward with great anticipation to seeing him next week. There were tears in his eyes as he thanked me in return. “This was so much fun. I can’t wait to come back next week and do this again,” he said. My volunteer work with the Kairos Dancing Heart Program continues to be a major source of love and happiness in my life!
Faith
