Everybody has their own ways of bringing themselves happiness. For some people, it’s sports, for others it’s family, or for others it may be social events, but none of these fit me. Helping others is what brings me happiness. I’ve always had this desire inside of me for making a difference in someone’s life. Of course simple acts like holding the door for others or giving someone a gift are nice gestures that bring me happiness but sometimes they don’t quite grant my desire. I truly believe that helping others brings happiness because nothing compares to the feeling of giving without expecting anything back.
As soon as we were presented the IA project, without thinking, I knew I had to do something that involves community service. Since I recently started taking piano lessons, I thought I could maybe bring these two factors together. After changing my project various times, I finally figured out what I wanted to learn about and later apply - music therapy. This therapy uses music as a powerful tool to create positive behavior changes. For the past four weeks I’ve been spending time with my friend’s brother, Lorenzo, who was born with down syndrome and autism. His heart is filled with so much joy, his energy feels contagious by just sitting next to him. Children living with autism and/or down syndrome feel everything we feel. They are completely conscious of conversations going on around them and can instantly pick up if you are talking about them close by. The problem is that their brain does not allow them to express their feelings, so if they feel angry they’ll throw something, or if they feel left out, they might use aggression. Music therapy opens channels of communication, in other words, it’s their way of expressing their feelings. I know this because I’ve seen it during all the sessions with Lorenzo. Helping Lorenzo improve his concentration and synchronization using music is my goal. Surprisingly though, even if I’m not successful I don’t feel like I’ve fail because this whole experience has impacted my life in the most explicit way possible. I haven’t thought about what grade I’m going to get on my project once since I began meeting with Lorenzo because I feel so connected with him and what I’m creating with him: a relationship where both of us gain so much, and formed with so much compassion, trust and constant improvements. It truly is inspiring watching his own music therapists, Mario Bressanutti, with him. I feel like I’ve already gained so much after just a few sessions, I can’t imagine how much I will learn by the end of this journey. I have been thinking about how to re-write my conclusion because I wouldn't want anybody to think of me as a person that has got it all figured out and that I think of myself as some kind of angel because I find happiness through helping others. But the fact is I'm not here to brag about how I found what makes me so happy in life, I'm here to simply share an amazing experience I've had, after spending time with a 17 year old down syndrome and autistic boy. It is hard for me to explain this because no words can really describe how this boy has taught me so much. Lorenzo and I have gained a certain connection I have never made with anyone else in my life. The most beautiful part of all of this is the fact that the point of my project was to help Lorenzo, yet I feel like nobody has ever helped me as much as he has ever before. He taught me about patience and how being different and challenged is not sad at all, it is actually what defines what it really means to succeed in life the hard way.
2 Comments
Renata Stiglich
10/2/2015 05:05:24 am
Adam Grant wrote Give and Take, which is about the benefits of being a giver in life. Read this: http://thinkers50.com/blog/give-take-interview-adam-grant/
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Leonardo Jimenez
10/5/2015 05:02:40 pm
Renata, I really like the way you start this blog post because you lead very smoothly into the phrase "giving without expecting anything back", which I think really encompasses what you are doing in your IA project. You explain the concept of music therapy very well and its definitely clear that helping Lorenzo is something you are passionate about. One thing you could improve is giving some examples or anecdotes of moments you've shared with Lorenzo. Other than that, your word choice is excellent for the attitude that you chose to portray throughout your writing. Overall really well written!
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