Playing the Piano

With my children tucked in their beds I sat down to let my fingers fly across the keys of our piano. I breathed a sign of relief at finally having an uninterrupted 30 minutes to just play, and cringed realizing how very out of practice I am.

Yet joy filled my heart with thankfulness for the truth that my fingers do remember this keyboard and that these notes once learned so long ago shall never be forgotten.

Music:  soft, caressing, stress-relieving, loud, fun, and every other emotion known to man can so well be aired and relieved through this gift God allows us to enjoy.

How thankful I am for the 16 years of private piano lessons my parents paid for. Imagine the investment my parents paid for all those lessons. Wow! Thank you Mom and Dad.

And even though with my little ones around me I don't often get to play now since they like to join me and my 18 mos. old wants to bang on it and then I quickly grow frustrated and close it up. Yet I am so thankful knowing that I CAN play the piano and when again I do have time to sit down and play that it will come back to me.

Living numerous places growing up I had a LOT of different piano teachers and a lot of different methods taught me.

I remember being praised for having perfect pitch when I was no more than 6 or 7.  I remember having to memorize 10 short pieces for a jury and forgetting EVERY one of them in the stress of the moment. (Since then I could never perform by memory successfully). I remember the big Dalmatian of my teacher's that used to lay on my feet or the peddles during lessons.

I was a lazy student as a kid, but am thankful my parents made me stick to it. Because I did learn, even if I didn't practice much, which changed later when I got older and even more in college.

How I loved accompanying my sister while she sang and I played. How I loved played Christmas carols and hymns at the nursing home. How I loved having this knowledge and this gift to relieve my stress as I poured out my pain over a broken heart into those understanding keys.

Playing an instrument is something that speaks to ones soul, and something with which we can bring glory and praise to our LORD.

How I hope that my children will learn to love music and enjoy it and value it in the future as I have.

Say thanks to your parents today if they paid for years of lessons for you too!