Even a Violin Eventually Sounds Good

Good morning!  I hope your day is off to a great start.

Did you do anything fun over the weekend?  I usually ask that question with no idea what response I’ll get, but some of them are well worth the effort.  Which is why I don’t ask my oldest grandson, because I may get an answer I didn’t want.  I have to remind him every now and then that, although we’ve always been best friends, I’m still Grandpa.  We’ll just leave it at that.

My weekend revolved around a pair of high-school performances.  My oldest granddaughter (16) was in a production of Beauty and the Beast.  The sets, the music, the singing, and especially the acting, were all worthy of a lot more than the $10 admission price.  The acting was so good, I didn’t really notice the part of Gaston was played by a young lady.  I’m not sure she did, either.

Then yesterday I got to see my “bonus” granddaughter (also 16) in her school’s show choir final performance.  To see so much talent on the same stage, especially at an age where a lot of kids are thinking of anything but school, was inspirational.  And if I’m allowed to say it, our girl was amazing.  She stopped hearts with her two solos.  I know because mine was one of them. 

I was telling a friend yesterday I insisted my daughters would do some kind of extracurricular in school.  Band, choir, sports, chess club, it didn’t matter.  And I made sure that any time one of them was onstage, we were in the audience.  Sometimes, that takes a lot more love than we realize – band parents, especially.  If you know, you know.  Some things take a lot more practice than others.

But the day comes when they’re making actual, recognizable music, and the cat no longer hides behind the couch when they play.  And that glow on their face at the end of a performance is worth all the hours spent silently nodding our approval while trying to hide the earplugs.  It takes time and effort to master a skill.  Thankfully, these kids have plenty of both. 

I saw a poster once that showed a baby bird peeking out of the nest with a caption that read, “It flies because it thinks it can.”  We’re all born with no sense of limitations.  It’s how we learn to walk, and talk, and hold our own bottle.  And we carry those skills all through adulthood, though I do still spill a little sometimes.  I think I need more practice. Walking, that is.

Children’s minds are the epitome of imagination and possibility.  Sadly, both start to fade through the teenage years.  By adulthood, most of that magic is gone, which is why we have life coaches and motivational books to help rebuild what should never have been torn down in the first place.  If only we could nurture more of what was already there, there’s no limit to what they could accomplish.

We’re no different.  If we can remove the barriers that were put in place by people and events though our formative years, we can achieve any goal.  And, as a good friend used to ask, what would your dreams be if you knew you couldn’t fail?  Food for thought.

That’s all for now, friends.  Have an awesome day!

© 2024 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved