Sing!
When I got COVID, followed by years of Long COVID, one of the things I lost was my ability to sing like I had before. I didn’t realize what a core piece of my identity “singer” was until it was gone. So, last year, with the intention of reclaiming this part of myself, I joined the Kansas City Women’s Chorus.
It was a struggle. Fatigue had stolen my energy, so I could not stand or even sit upright for all of the rehearsals. My lung capacity was not the same, so singing itself was a strenuous physical activity. My vocal chords were not the same, so my tone and range felt foreign to me in my own body. My brain was not the same, so I had to learn a whole new way to memorize music.
Yet, even at rehearsals when all I could do was listen, I still resonated in every cell of my body with the healing vibrations of over a hundred women singing together. On days I felt deeply broken, fearing I would never be whole again, I was given unequivocal grace, support, and encouragement by fellow choir members. These women simply wrapped me up in their powerful, inclusive, joyful community. How could I not be transformed, regularly surrounded and filled with such love and music?
A year later, I have experienced healing from many Long COVID symptoms, and I know that singing with this chorus has played a profound part in that healing. Joy, community, physicality, spirituality – all these are amplified when we sing. No wonder we are commanded to “sing” so many times in Scripture!
My story is not unique. Whether or not you identify as a singer, many of you can attest to the healing, even life-saving, power of song. So, right now, or as soon as you can, I encourage you to sing! Think of it as an act of self-care. You deserve all the joy and healing it brings.
Thank you, Divine One, for your gift of song. Each day, remind us to sing, that music may bathe us, fill us, enliven, us, connect us, and heal us. Amen.
Roxanne is a life-long singer, lover of cats, wife, mom, grammie, friend, and somewhat fiery follower of Jesus. You can hear her sing in the next KC Women’s Chorus concert, OUR VILLIAN ERA: Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History on Friday, Nov 15, 2024, 7PM and Saturday, Nov 16, 2024, 7PM at The Gem Theater in Kansas City, Missouri.