Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
~ Berthold Auerbach
~ Berthold Auerbach
If today is any indication, 2011 just might be a year so full of blessing it pours over the edges. Today, the Artistic Pixel Man and I have been married for 22 years. Many of them long and arduous, but here we are, Praise God! The day comes after a particularly hard week for me partly because my sleep was interrupted many times by not so small anymore bodies climbing into my bed because of their interrupted sleep. But I digress...
After spending a beautiful afternoon at the beach with my family, having a picnic and playing in the sun and surf, I was given back a gift that I once thought would never be mine. When I was young I learned how to play the piano. Reading music came to me without too much struggle and although my right hand has always been the more dominant one, I enjoyed playing...that is, until it was time for recitals and more practice. The time came when I had had enough and my mom no longer had the strength to fight against my desire to quit the lessons.
One thing that I always struggled with was chords. My dad had a wonderful ear and could make the piano really sing perhaps due to his 6 years of piano plus 6 years of organ lessons? But I on the other hand, had to read the music and thought I had no ear for chord progression.
Enter Miss A. She is getting into the habit to play the piano during dinner preparation when she is not cooking that night. Tonight she helped with some of the prep and then proceeded to play. Her first piece was not the usual. Not quite catching it, I listened closer and to my utter delight heard the notes of a familiar song greeting my ears. "Once in Royal David's City" was played by her Grampa during dinner clean up when I was a child. It was also listened to year round as he would play the recording from the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols - one of his (and my) favorites. Miss A and Mr.E have also heard that song sung and played live for the past 2 Christmases, so I know it is contained in the music book she keeps in her head (like her Grampa).
After my prep work was finished, I suggested we play it as a duet, she doing the melody and I doing the bottom notes. I sit down and realize that this means chords. I have to play chords. Stumbling around the notes for a while, she is very patient with me. Finally it starts coming to me. "Quick, run get a piece of paper!" I tell her. "But I don't know what to write!" is her reply.
More stumbling, but it comes out, all of a sudden, smoothly, like a break in the clouds. The fog that has hung over my head for the past 25-30 years clears from my head as my fingers work the notes out. No, it wasn't perfect, or exactly like the recording, or Grampa for that matter. But it works. She smiles. I smile and finally feel accomplished.
I tell her the story of Grampa, of my eagerness to quit because I thought I would never learn chords or play very well. I tell her with tears of gladness filling my eyes, what a blessing she is because she inspires me with her music. So much so, that chords are no longer the big scary monster holding back my left hand.
Oh, the joy that filled my heart tonight. Given by a loving God who gives good gifts. The simple act of working it out, closed by giving thanks to Him.
