Inner Beauty

Sometimes, it is just so easy to make judgments based on how things look on the outside.  Some circumstances like age, residence, behavior, etc. could cause you to dismiss or give no more thought about the person.
People are often 'deeper' on the inside, and as we 'human beings' age...our talents are not so obvious. No where is this more obvious than in a nursing home.  My mom is certainly a mere 'shadow of the torch' she was and we who know her are well aware of her fine qualities.
In the dining room, I am on a first name basis with both staff and residents.  So when Mary [not her real name] burst into song, her dementia and unruly behavior  took a back seat to her beautiful voice.  She had sung in a choir and and was quite musical.  There is an organ in the corner of the dining room, and I asked her if she could play the organ. 
"Uh...I think so."
There was no sheet music. As those aged hands pressed on two rows of keys and her foot added 'pedal support', you could tell that the pleasant chords and sounds were 'right on' and beautiful.  It was a treat for me as I seem to have a connection with both ends of the rainbow:  the children and the elderly.
It prompted me to want to initiate conversation that would
shed some light onto the hidden talents that I know were present in the room!!

Way to go, Mary!!
Mary and I have launched into 'Amazing Grace' at the dinner table more than once which will usually bring on a comment from a resident along the lines of.
"There she goes again!!  She's singing again!"
To which I answer,
"Aren't you glad she has such a beautiful voice?"