Falling Leaves

In addition to my hours of exploring the woods of Lincoln, playing with the neighborhood horses in the horse farm, and creating forts in the woods, I also had a chance to explore music. For a year in Third Grade, I took piano lessons with the same teacher who taught my brother Michael.  Being four years older than me, he was more accomplished than me, especially since I was a beginner.

My year of lessons included a few firsts: My first concert. My first concert wearing a home-made royal blue velvet dress that cut me in the armpits and made my fingers tingle when I played my short piece.  My year of starting the day first by playing a beautiful piece called "Falling Leaves" on the piano in the classroom every day after I learned it.  I loved the sound of that piece.  I loved being able to create the music. It made me so happy.

And lastly, that was the first time that I quit something.  At the end of the year, my brother wanted to quit lessons.  Since I wanted to be like my big brother, I quit too.  I wish that I had not quit, that I had continued to play, because I remember the joy of playing that piece on the third-grade classroom piano every morning to start the day.  But I was too young to know that it was ok to follow my own passions.  Later, my brother took up piano lessons again and today is a skilled pianist.  My musical future lay, however, with the violin 'cello and singing.

From this experience, I learned the importance of following my own passions, and the importance of gently encouraging others to follow their passions even if their peers or older siblings are making different choices.