"Have you ever gone caroling?" Sharon wanted to know this morning.
"No, I haven't," I told her, "but we've had carolers come to our house. All of which happened at extremely inconvenient times. Providing memories I don't cherish."
"I may never have gone caroling, but I had been part of a group that goes singing for 'shut-ins' when I was a teenager," I told her, "and also had roles reversed when I was the 'shut-in'."
She wanted to hear all about it
It was the spring before we got married, and I was recovering from a broken ankle.
My days were spent reading, which helped time fly by quite swiftly. I had other options to occupy my time, but I had always despised hand sewing and needlework projects, so I didn't do much of that at all.
One afternoon I was yanked back to reality from the book I had been engrossed in when I heard voices outside the window. I craned my neck to see what was happening, and saw to my dismay Teacher Sadie and all the students from our little school.
They marched single file up unto our porch and then stood there waiting as Sadie knocked on the door. Mom went to welcome them in. They came and stood around me where I was sitting and belted out three songs, presented me with a 'get well' scrapbook they had made, and then turned and marched out the door, continuing single file over our hayfield back towards the school.
It took me a minute to recover from that. I had felt intensely awkward being sung to. Not knowing where to look or what to do.
It was a sweet gesture, but I still suppress a shudder when ever I relive it.
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I can understand that, we have been sung to as well. You kind of feel self conscious and don't know what to do.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that as a young person, you felt awkward about this, but it sure was. nice gesture on their part. I have have gone Carolina on several occasions and had a blast doing it.
ReplyDeleteI would have felt exactly the same way, but it was a very nice gesture and done in the spirit of cheering you up.
ReplyDeleteLike the others have said, I understand perfectly how you feel but the kindness in the gesture was evident.
ReplyDeleteI have been caroling many, many times. Especially to nursing homes where the residents absolutely love it.
Blessings,
Betsy
I love to go Caroling, but we would go to the Nursing home, The Senior Apartments and to the elderly shut-ins. It's been a few years since our Church has done this now. It would have been very awkward to be in that situation as a young kid to have the others come sing. Wendy
ReplyDeleteWOW! I've been part of a caroling group and we always let people know we were coming and when - if it was inconvenient for them, we just crossed them off the list and tried again the next year. Typically, it was shut ins or other home-bound people from church. Once we went to a nursing home and sang in the hallway until people invited us into their room to sing.
ReplyDeleteI think that would have been terribly awkward, if I had been in your shoes!
Lea
That was a sweet gesture when the kids sang for you. I visit a nursing home but don't sing, I would be off key.
ReplyDeleteIt was a nice gesture, but I'm still sort of cringing at the thought. It's similar to the way I and my family all live in fear that a restaurant staff will start singing Happy Birthday to us. We generally take the birthday person out for a nice dinner, but are careful not to breathe a word about the occasion.
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