Epiphany

You know, sometimes the Lord just has to hit me upside the head with a 2x4. Ever have that happen to you??

There are so many things I feel He wants me to change in my life & I keep resisting!!! WHY??? Because I'm human - I know. I'm not going to share the LONG list I am working on, but believe me, it is very, very long.

That isn't why I'm writing this post though. This post is about one specific thing in my life. It's all about music.

Music has always been a very large part of who I am. It's part of me. My mom started me on piano lessons when I was only five. That actually didn't go well, but I did ask her later in life WHY she would start a five year old on piano lessons. I think I asked simply because I couldn't possibly see any of my kids wanting piano lessons at that age. Her simple answer - because I asked for them!

I STILL remember those lessons. I had a godly woman as my teacher. She went to our church. She was also the music teacher at our school. I was in kindergarten. I remember her coming to school to teach us. I remember her coming to my house to teach me. I also remember that I was doing well with my lessons UNTIL we went above the first octave. You see, I was reading the fingering numbers & not the notes. Well, of course, she figured this out VERY quickly & changed my book to one without numbering. It was then I decided it was too hard & didn't want to do it anymore. One of my regrets in life.

Then in fifth grade I took band like all the other kids who wanted to play. I am one of five siblings. A family friend had given my parents a clarinet YEARS before I was in fifth grade. I have three older siblings so, yes, ALL of us played the clarinet. Most only played it for 1-2 years. I played it straight through high school. I did take off 8th grade which worked out well since my little sister was in fifth grade by then & needed an instrument! [big grin!!] I had actually had a fight with my band instructor about who knows what - I was 13 - need I say more? So I refused to play for a year. I only hurt myself.

Pep Band - 1990 - got to love those shirts! UGH! I hated that shirt! LOL

This was a big point though since I started to learn to read notes. I started plunking around on the piano. In 9th grade I asked for lessons on the piano again. My mom told me I would have to call my old instructor myself & ask her. She said yes! However, she only had openings in the summer so for two summers, that was when I had my lessons. I wanted to learn to play with both hands. I needed to learn to read the treble clef. After those summers she was able to see my new dedication & took me on as a student during the year for my last two years of high school.

I loved it. I wasn't great, but I had fun. It was my stress reliever. I hated playing in front of people, but I loved to go in my parents room, close the door, & play. Of course, I learned that my mom liked to go in the bathroom then & listening through the heating vent. [grin!]

I soon started playing in public though. I played for my assistant basketball coach's wedding at my church. I accompanied some of the girls in my class who sang at concerts. I even started playing in the jazz band - on the piano. I still played clarinet (loved it) & even played the trombone for a year. We had no trombones in our pep band for basketball games & so two of my friends & myself volunteered to play. It was A LOT of fun!

I'm the blond trombone player.
This was probably the Memorial Day parade - one of three we marched in.

Then I graduated from high school & never played again. I don't know why. I missed it. I lost my skills. I still have my clarinet. I barely remember any of the fingerings. I've never lived in a place where I could have a piano - even today. I do have a keyboard. I asked my dh for a guitar last year for Christmas & he got me one. I'm slowly learning how to play.

I also love to sing. I'm certainly not the next American Idol but I can hold a tune. I missed singing in a choir. When we lived further south I did sing in a large church choir for two years & really loved it. Once I had my second son it was too hard to continue. I haven't been able to make it work here either.

So today I started thinking about how much I like music. I had Selah's Christmas CD "Rose of Bethlehem" playing & I absolutely love the 3rd & 4th track on there. One is called "Light of the Stable" & the other is called "Once Upon A Christmas." My kids know that when Big Daddy Weave comes on the radio singing "Let It Rise" that mommy WILL turn it up & WILL sing loudly along with it! [grin]

I bought myself guitar picks tonight. I have two beginning piano books coming through PBS for me (and maybe my kids). I'm going to ask some friends if I can "borrow" their pianos from time to time. I'm going to practice my guitar daily. I'm going to use my keyboard more often. I want to sing more. I want to enjoy my music again.