Opening the Heart Opens the Mind

If You Want to Understand the Universe

Written by: Lisa Weldon 16 February 2021

“If you wish to understand the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” Nikola Tesla

It was a crisp December morning in Peoria, Arizona.?The staff at the senior resort community was bustling about enjoying the flurry of energy brought to the region by the Snowbirds - who started landing and settling in the area mid-October to early November.?For those who are unfamiliar with the term, snowbird season is a widespread annual phenomenon throughout the warmer southern regions internationally.?Families seeking reprieve from the winter weather advisories and heavy snowfall within their local region, venture off to settle for a season in warmer climates and in cities who embrace the art of catering to seasonal tourists.?As family members from all over the world began their annual pilgrimages to visit their elders in the magical southwestern deserts of Arizona, they brought new life, vibrant energy and a healthy cash flow.?The local investors depended upon this season.?It was a well-known fact that during Snowbird Season: rent tripled, retail sales skyrocketed, and the golf courses, resorts and seasonal condos were at max capacity. For the senior care communities, it meant the staff had to be on-point and offer the highest quality of service as they catered to residents and their visiting family members. Many residents graduated from Independent Living to Assisted Living. For those who were unable to communicate with words, could not seem to manage their Activities of Daily Living, (ADLs), and who lost their way often, they would make the painful transition from Assisted Living to a room within the confines of a Memory Care Unit.?

Elders battling neurodegenerative diseases and disorders were restrained in beds or wheelchairs, sat staring blankly at a wall or through a window, or at times wandered about disoriented as they communicated with fragmented language - to souls they once knew, in dimensions unseen by the naked eye. The outside air was refreshing as I fumbled through my leather bag to find my keys.?Pushing past my brush and makeup bag I found the cluster of keys. Urging the largest copper key into the deadbolt, I opened the heavy door leading into The Arbors Senior Salon and Spa.??

Lights on. Window blinds open. Air Filtration System on. Flipping switches. Inviting Rat Pack Melodies. As the frequency in the room increased, I welcomed the first two customers of the day.?Enter stage left, Greta and Faith.?Greta was a woman in her late seventies with advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Faith was in her eighties and had survived a series of debilitating strokes. In their hay days both women were passionate about musical theater. They were applauded performers and educators… devoted wives and mothers... upstanding women in their communities. Greta jumped out of aeroplanes, tapped danced on stages overseas and stateside, sang opera, played Tchaikovsky and was an architect of the local youth.?Both women loved teaching young people the value of living life to the fullest with a deep sense of passion - fueled by an intense desire to fulfill one’s divine destiny.?Greta and Faith were as bold, faithful and daring as they came.?They both adored macadamia nuts delicately covered in Belgian chocolate, Bing Crosby tunes, and Bob Hope Humor. They loved road trips and lighting up every room they entered with laughter and child-like joy. Although Greta’s brain was slowly self-destructing due to the neurofibrillary tangles, (NFTs), caused by Alzheimer’s disease, and Faith’s awareness frequently fell into a trance – her spirit wandering deeper into an ethereal mist - their essential natures reverberated as they mindfully attempted to bring joy to others - their joy naturally fading away.?

Greta sat rocking back and forth in her chair, humming happily with the music of her youth as she patiently waited for whatever came next.?She knew it was going to be entertaining but was not quite certain what came next, or what she was supposed to do in order to get the ball rolling in the direction of fun. Faith sat slumped in her wheelchair, her gaze staring off into the distance with a drool trail seeping out the side of her lips. Both women’s conditions had advanced to the degree that they were no longer able to form sentences and were on the brink of completely losing the ability to communicate with words.??

The Arbors Senior Salon and Spa was a haven… a safe space where for 30-40 minutes elders could sit back, listen to songs on Spotify - that were once featured on the vinyls in their personal collections - and reminisce about yesteryear.?More often than not, they would not be able to describe in words the sensory journey that soothed their hearts and minds, but perhaps words were no longer necessary. Perhaps life is as simple as inviting the mind to dance.?It’s as Tesla, Hugo and Mother Maya reminds us:?

“If you wish to understand the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”?

Nikola Tesla?

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”?

Victor Hugo

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou??

Over the years, I have interacted with elders battling with neurodegenerative disorders and diseases - who are left without the ability to communicate with spoken language. I hear them. They are saying, “I might not be able to put into words my thoughts.?I might not be able to engage socially the way you want me to or expect me to… but please see me.?Please sense me.?Please hear the emotions and thoughts I house within my inner being.?Help me feel of value.?When you open your heart, you open my mind.?I appreciate you more that words can possibly express. Ubuntu and Namaskar.”