The Readiness Is All

When I was little, I was really excited to learn to play the piano. Somewhere during the second or third year of playing, that excitement waned considerably and I started to hate to practice. I remember my mom telling me - probably out of desperation -that I could quit when I could sight-read every hymn in the LDS Hymnbook. Of course, by the time I got to that point, I actually liked playing because I'd gotten into a more enjoyable period of skill wherein I could play things like Jon Schmidt and Billy Joel as well.

Then I went away to college and didn't have a lot of access to the piano for a few years, and I lost a lot of my skill. However, I could still basically sight-read most of the hymns, and at various points in my life, it's been a skill I've been really glad I have. When I was in England, I remember telling the bishop that I needed some practice before I played in sacrament meeting, and he told me that if I didn't play, they'd be singing a capella. Obviously there are worse things that could happen, but I find that people sing with greater gusto in church when they have backup, and I was happy to muddle through. (I don't play accurately, but I play with great expression.) After living in Utah where there were plenty of people who could play for any meeting, it was crazy to realize what a blessing the opportunity to learn really was.

This Sunday I was asked to play the organ for a funeral Monday morning. I had no chance to practice, and didn't even know what songs I'd be playing until I arrived at the church (and believe me, my organ skills are more neglected than my piano skills) but when I was up there playing "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again," at the close of the meeting, I thought about how glad I was that my mom pushed me through those years when I didn't want to practice. I'll never be a concert pianist, but I will have opportunities to use what I know throughout my life, and I'm so glad.

Future children, if I manage to make you stick with it long enough, maybe you'll thank me someday too.

While watching the Ten Commandments on Easter Sunday:

Charlton Heston Moses: "Sephora, your eyes are as sharp as they are beautiful."
Joshua: "MOSES!"
CH Moses to Joshua: "Welcome, Joshua."
Eric as CH Moses: "Have you met my hot wife? She smells like sheep, but her eyes are as sharp as they are beautiful." 

Also, have you seen the de Mille intro to this movie? Because it definitely has some thinly-veiled anti-communist propaganda in it. Delightful. Oh, how I've missed watching this movie every year.