Thankful Thursday....

Today I am thankful that I can play the piano. Now, mind you, I'm not one of those exceptionally gifted musicians and I can tell by the size of my hands that Father in Heaven never intended for me to be the concert variety. But! He did give me a gift. I say that because I was a lousy student. I hated practicing scales--hence, my fingering is usually unorthodox and different every time I play the piece. I remember starting out at the piano in the "back room" where one of my older sisters would place the half-high chair at the piano and my love affair began............you see, while I detested scales, I loved the sound of the piano and that I could "make" music! My "formal" lessons began sometime around the 4th grade with the high school music teacher who did not know how to play the piano himself. A good man, and he tried, but the one thing he taught me--that I remember--is how to figure tempo using a clock with a second hand. My lessons lasted more than a year but less than two. I remember only one recital in which I played the piano. I played Jean Sibelius' "Finlandia". And as I remember, I got stumped halfway through. It has always been difficult for me to memorize! Not much to go on...........but even so, I was the "class accompanist". I played for our 4th grade class when we sang, "Utah, We Love Thee!" and for our 7th and 8th grade chorus classes. I played for the high school choir and in the stage band. I accompanied the Jr. Sunday School in the old Marion Ward starting at about age 12 and continuing till I graduated from high school--I think............it seemed like forever............but I loved it!! I tried playing the organ for sacrament meetings, but there were times I made so many mistakes--because I was extremely nervous--that the bishop asked me to wait till I was older. I never did get very good at it. Then I "took off" for a few years while I went to college--and there were lots of people who could play better than I could. I got married and we started our family. We moved "home" and I was called to play in Primary. I remember being surprised that I needed to practice! I couldn't just sit down and go! It was then I decided that I would never say no to an opportunity to accompany someone or play in church. I had heard about Sis. Jessie Evans Smith having the chance to sing with the New York Opera..........she turned it down and came to Utah where she sang with the Tabernacle Choir and figured she had had a greater experience than had she stayed in New York.......something about furthering the work of the Lord through music..........I thought I might be able to do the same thing though on a significantly smaller scale. Since that time, the Lord has magnified the gift He gave me many-fold. You see, I never really worked at developing it. I hope I have used it as He wanted, and I hope I won't be too sorry that I didn't try harder to make it better. I have considered it an outright gift. And I'm so thankful!!! It has been a blessing to me my whole life. And hopefully, it has blessed the lives of others as well. I know it has been wonderful for our family. We have spent countless hours around the piano singing together--many times with several friends as well. So tonight I'm thankful for the ability to make music at the piano.............