I read a fascinating article in the Boston Globe. It was talking about new discoveries in the treatment of Alzheimer’s. “A growing body of research is confirming the anecdotal evidence that the arts can improve quality of life, reduce stress, and allow the person to better connect to the world.” I watched my grandfather struggle with the disease. He would search for the right word for a simple sentence and give up in frustration, yet he could pull out a memory from long ago that would make him laugh. I found the article encouraging. Who has never had a moment where a particular piece of music brings back a memory, or a painting or sculpture touches something in us that makes us cry, or watching a play gives us the feeling we’ve just been to another century and learned something about ourselves? How extraordinary that these creative artistic expressions teach us things that the mind cannot rationalize, but our bodies store the experience away until something calls it up. With such a power to heal, should we not then pour our hearts and efforts into every opportunity we have to share them?
