Another Cello Recital

Yep, me and all my decades-younger-than-me peeps had our spring cello recital a couple weeks ago.

Nope, that’s not another adult cello player with me there on the end, that would be our awesome teacher. Let’s get a better look at her because I love her.

And that thumbs-up kid? I’m with you buddy…so happy by this point we were done with that thing!

Once again, I did seriously consider slipping out the side door and never coming back. That is scary business I tell you, especially when you’re old and you are just as scratchy on those strings as ever.

But I had this whole crowd cheering me on:

(Elle and Carson were here for a week between graduation and residency)

…so I opted not to duck out and went ahead and played my solo as well as a little trio. Because you can’t just vanish from things you’ve taught your kids to pull up their boot straps and do, right?

And you know what? I was reminded once again that it really is good to do things like that that scare your pants off once in a while, fingers shaking, heart pumping.

Oh it was just a little recital, but it came with lots of gratitude.

• For my teacher who taught all those kids all those songs. When you really sit and think about that, it’s such a beautiful thing that actually got me teary with thankfulness (why am I so teary all the time??). But really, taking the time out to teach that many people to hold a bow, put fingers on strings in the right places, read music? Incredible.
• Also gratitude for my grandma who wrote in her journal about “when you do the seemingly impossible…” that now runs through my children’s hearts. And mine too. She was a musician and I think she’d be proud:)

Ok, that sounds like I’m accepting a Grammy Award or something, ha!

But maybe in a way I am. Maybe each day we do something harder we are accepting new “awards,” letting the “impossibles” open new channels of our brains so that the next seemingly impossible thing will fit into our character.

I’m off to practice and try to wrangle in some of that scratchiness! Sending out love and encouragement to all of you in the midst of your own “impossibles,” whatever they may be.