Grace Cathedral

We ended our small group activity series for 2024 on a happy note! Our last activity was at Salesforce Tower Park where we enjoyed an afternoon of a live jazz performance. The afternoon was crisp, and we were among a wide range of people attending that day. Much to our delight, there were small children in strollers and people on their lunch break who came to hear the jazz in the park with us.

The park itself is one mile in length and sits on the fourth floor of the Salesforce Tower building. I had never been, so I arrived early to get situated and find seating for our small group. Upon arrival, I noticed there was an intimate group of small children in strollers enjoying an animated story time under a white tent. The storyteller was so enthusiastic and narrated the characters so well, I found myself remotely tuning into the story while I pushed tables and chairs together.

Snacks in hand and the “Seniors with Grace” sign on display, I was ready to welcome our group. The band was starting to set up, and I watched them take their time to unpack their instruments and get situated. The band consisted of a drummer, pianist, bass celloist, saxophonist and trumpeter, and they all worked in harmony to create some beautiful music for us.

I don’t recall the name of the songs they played that day, the memory recorded in my heart is the feeling the music touched inside of me. Music is such a powerful inspiration for so many, I play it every day and often wake up with a song playing in my thoughts in the morning. So, you could say they were speaking my “language”.

As I was enjoying the music, I noticed everyone around me was getting into the music as well, smiling, tapping their foot or just closing their eyes to take it all in. Our small group of seniors were in a happy place, as they snacked and listened to the music. A few members of our group opted to walk around the park afterwards just to sightsee for a while.

Smiling, like laughing, is contagious and I was so pleased that we ended our small group series for the year on a happy note with music. As we embrace the holiday season and plan for another year of small group activities, we will be sure to include another visit to the park for more jazz inspiration.