When You are Smiling

As soon as Evelyn saw Comer and me walk into the Alzheimer Unit, she smiled.
"Well you seem happy," I said.
"What a smile!" said Comer.
Suddenly Evelyn began to sing, "When you're smiling, when you're smiling...."
"The whole world smiles with you," I sang in unison.
She beamed at me and we linked arms singing as we approached my car. Asherel sat in the front seat watching us, trying to control the horror in her eyes.
"But when you're crying, you bring on the rain," sang Evelyn.
"So keep on smiling, be happy again!" I crooned.
"When you're smiling, when you're smiling! The whole world smiles with you!" we belted out together.
"Well now," said Comer, "That was right pretty."
"How about this one," I said, "You are my sunshine...."
"My only sunshine," sang Evelyn.
When we finished that one, I called out, "Bicycle built for two!"
"Daisy, daisy, give me your answer true...." we sang.
"Alfie!" I called back from the front seat.
"What's it all about, Alfie.....," her voice rang out in perfect tune.
"White Cliffs of Dover!"
"There'll be bluebirds over, the white cliffs of Dover, tomorrow just you wait and seee....."
"Red Sails in the Sunset!"
"Red sails in the sunset, way out on the sea, come carry my loved one, home safely to me...."
When she faltered, which was seldom, on the words, I remembered them. Together we reprised the 1940s and 50's. Comer joined in on some of the ballads, but mostly just listened, his mouth agape like he didn't know this woman he had lived with for 75 years.
"You have a beautiful voice!" I told Evelyn, "How do you remember all those songs?"
"I do remember them," she said, beaming.
"I didn't know you knew all those!" said Comer, "I wasn't expecting such a fine concert today."

I remember them because they are the songs I used to sing with my dad on our Sunday drives. While all my friends were listening to rock and roll and heavy metal, I was crooning Judy Garland ballads. The only time on the 2 hour drive we were silent was when the KFC chicken was handed back to the old couple holding hands. Evelyn ate every bite of her two piece meal.

When we returned to the Alzheimer center, I didn't give her a chance to collapse into the inevitable tears and dismay. As I pulled the car to the door, I began singing, "When you're smiling....."
She joined in, "When you're smiling.... the whole world smiles with you."
I started dancing, "When you're laughing, when you're laughing..."
She swayed to the music, her arms linked in mine and danced beside me, "The sun comes shining through!"

As we waltzed through the chairs of slack faced men and women lost in the throes of Alzheimer's, Evelyn and I were still singing and dancing, Comer following behind. The startled faces lifted and watched us.
"You know Evelyn had three pieces of fried chicken at lunch," shouted out one of the aides.
"And we just fed her two more," I said.
Evelyn looked slyly at me and giggled.

As Evelyn settled onto her bed, her face took on briefly the look that always preceded weeping.
"When you're smiling," I sang softly, as I helped her feet up over the edge of the bed.
"When you're smiling," she sang along.
Comer and I shuffled out the door, and as we closed it behind us, we heard her still singing.

Proverbs 15:13
A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Job 29:24
²⁴ When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
   the light of my face was precious to them.