HOW THINGS CHANGE!

On Wednesday, April 6th, my life changed forever.  


It is funny how it's the little things that make this happen, little things, like having a something delivered, which now becomes part of one's life.


For over two years now, my father kept promising me the gift of a baby grand piano he had at his house.  For one reason or another, the timing was never quite right for this.  To begin with, I was living in an apartment where it would absolutely not fit in, and once I moved into my new apartment, it took some time to arrange a mover.


Well, all that was put into motion last Wednesday.  Right in the middle of one of the worse cases of bronchitis I have ever experienced, and some 6 hours after the original delivery time, it arrived.  The entire energy of this place changed and now some days after the event, I am still trying to figure out how to 'fung shway' the place!  Along with the piano I also inherited a beautiful carpet and two boxes of what my dad called, "pretty dishes" - some lovely tea cups.


At first I put it to me being sick and being slightly stressed by this new acquisition, but as time went on, I had to admit to one strong emotion - sadness.  Absolute, overwhelming sadness, almost to the point of tears.  I could barely stand to look at this beautiful instrument, let alone play it.  


I realized the following morning what caused me to feel this way - with the moving of the piano, my dad had shut another piece of his life away.  Although he didn't say anything to make me feel this, I knew that this was indeed the case.  In a couple of months another phase will begin and end - he will be moving out of his own home into an apartment.  And yet again his world will get a little bit smaller.  


He loved this piano.  He spent hours composing music at that keyboard, right up until the last moment.  I feel his presence there every time I touch the keys, and feel as though I have ripped something very precious away from him, even though he's been after me to have the instrument moved for over two years.  


I have since made it a point of playing every day.  I have started my scales and exercises, learning how to read music again, and always with the lingering feeling of my dad there.  I hear his voice in my head correcting my hand position or encouraging me to try that difficult passage again.  


And I hope I will never lose that connection.


My greatest wish right now is to learn and perform two of his original piano compositions for him.  I can't think of a better way of thanking him for this incredible gift!


But first, I need to have it properly tuned up.  It's in such bad shape, it's making my teeth hurt to play it for any great length of time.