The Old Piano

Ella and her mommy spent the day with us and what a delight that was!  Oh, in case I haven't mentioned it in a while, Ella is our beautiful 13-month-old granddaughter and "mommy" is our wonderful daughter-in-law, Monika.  They shared lunch with us and then several hours of play time, much to our delight. 

One of the special things for Ella when she comes to grandma and grandpa's house is the piano!  Her face lights up when we lift her up on to the piano bench and a smile spreads across her sweet face as she tentatively plunks a few keys.  Then once she gets the feel for it, those little fingers really start making music...well, Ella music!

A musical genius in the making!

I was looking at our piano after the girls left today.  It's the piano that I took lessons on as a child.  It's the piano where I spent hundreds of hours in painful practice, sometimes with my mother sitting by my side counting out a song's particularly difficult rhythm. It's the piano on which I prepared for numerous fear-invoking recitals.  And I enjoyed very little of that!

However, the joy came later!  Because over the years, I have spent countless hours playing that piano simply for my own pleasure.  I have worked my way through many hymnals and praise songs and come away inspired and renewed by the music.  I never became a great piano player.  But I didn't need to in order to experience the joy of the music.

I thank my parents for persevering when my sisters and I grumbled over our piano lessons and practicing.  I'm pretty darn sure my mom, in particular, got tired of hearing us whine and probably, play!  But it was a gift for which I'm thankful.

So, I hope that Ella's face will always light up when she sees our piano.  And maybe someday, she'll become the talented pianist her grandmother never was.