Today the class in Young Adult Literature met, but I had to miss it. Disappointing but necessary. As executor of his dad's estate, D had to meet with the lawyer today, take care of some loose ends, and meet with the former housekeeper. He asked me to go with him, and I decided that request was more important than my class.
The situation made me think of a decision I think I've made about the piano. If you've been reading this blog for a while you may have noticed that I haven't mentioned the piano since last spring/early summer. That's when the pace of our lives truly began to pick up just with normal activities (only more of them). Then D's dad began to fail, and the snowball syndrome became the order of the day.
In November when things began to settle down with the estate, I picked up the pace with my painting, my quilting activities, and my determination to be sure certain quilts and other homemade gifts were completed in time for the holidays. Now January is well under way, and life is pretty much back to normal.
However, everyday I walk past my piano and give it a speculative eye. Sometimes I even sit down and play a little. Somewhere along the way, I had become aware that the absence of my Friday piano lessons from our calendar freed up time for other activities and possibilities. It was a day without having to be somewhere at a particular time. The morning was more relaxed. We didn't have to negotiate the use of our one car or construct how we could handle being in different places at the same time and who would wait for whom. Then there is the extra hour everyday that had been piano practice time that is now - whatever we want it to be.
As much as I enjoyed the piano and being involved in music, I think I am going to give it up. I don't play well and never will but the lessons made me improve. It's a hard thing to do - giving up something you love. But sometimes something just has to go to make room for other pleasures. More time to paint. More time to sew.
More time to be with D and go with him when he wants my company. It's really all about what is important, isn't it.
I know what you are feeling, Noel. The piano sits in the family room without being played. I use to play every Christmas. Take out all those familiar songs to see if I still remembered. It's been the second year of not even playing at Christmas. I had several years ago decided to open my old lesson books, and begin the exercises I did when I was ten. When I found I couldn't play as well as when I was ten, I quit. You do need to pick and choose what is important.
ReplyDeleteNoel - it's your retirement. Do the things most important to you and skip the rest. Spending time with David is very important - so are the other activites you love. Maybe some day in the future you'll pick it up again - but for right now it's less important than the other stuff.
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