Alice Ramirez
April 2011
Alice
Ramirez
,
RN
Medical Surgical
Baptist Hospital of Miami
Miami
,
FL
United States

 

 

 

The soft sweet melody was coming from another room, but there were many rooms on the floor of the hospital in which I was admitted. The voice that I was hearing so softly was just about audible to my ears. It had to be nearby. I could actually feel the love in it. It was coming from the room next to mine. I moved closer to the limits of my doorway in order to enjoy the softness and non-complicated melodic low ranged tune. I understood not a lyric being sung in Spanish but had a deep feeling the words were very significant to the singer and audience of one. A nurse was singing the song, as she was feeding her patient. I moved closer while alice was slowly feeding her much older patient and not missing a note or word of her song. The aged patient, obviously in pain, was being anesthetized either by the words of the song or by the voice sweetly delivering them. Not knowing the language, I was sure she was singing the right melody and words. She made no hesitations. Both Alice and her patient were smiling. I had to know what Alice was singing to this frail old lady.

The following morning, Alice was again assigned to take care of my pale sickly neighbor whom I thought did not have much time remaining in this lifetime. Once again, Alice took on the job of trying to nourish this pain-stricken patient. Alice had an assistant who could have done the chore of feeding but I think Alice felt compelled to take the time consuming task. There must have been some connection between them. Alice told me she was born in Puerto Rico. I think she was singing the song to remind herself of San Juan's beauty, but in the case of Alice, I certainly pray she will be able to fulfill in person part of her childhood dreams to return once again.