March 16, 2024
Dear Family:
I’ve had many things on my mind this week. One of which is talents. But before I talk about talents I wanted to
extend my heartfelt sympathy to Sheri.
Her son Garrett, 27 years old, passed away Friday. I can only imagine the devastation she must
feel. I have lost parents and my dear
sister Judy, but to lose one of my 3 children would be unimaginable. I love you Sheri. I am sure I speak for
everyone.
Saturday I took 4 of my 10 piano students to Woodland
Heights Assisted Living facility for a mini recital to perform for the
residents. My friend Norma lives
there. But even before she moved there,
I had taken my students there to share their talents. 1) It gives them exposure and practice in playing
before strangers. 2) It brings joy to
people who are lonely, don’t feel their best, and it brings happy memories back
in a flash. I got there a few minutes
early and several ladies remembered when I brought them before and when I
brought my band to play for them on Valentine ’s Day. 5 of my students couldn’t make it. That’s okay because I had the 4 that were
there play everything they have played recently. Mikki Steele’s grandson Henry, was the last
performer and he wowed them. He played a
Hymn, a prelude, a ragtime tune, William Tell Overture, Superman and Pink
Panther. I had him play last. He likes
to play with strength and he got a great ovation. Then afterwards I had people come up to tell
me how it reminded them of when they were young, and great times they remember
at piano concerts. It was a great
feeling to share. That is one of the
great things about learning to play piano (a talent) – it is easy to share with
others.
I have been thinking about talents and gifts that we have
been blessed with. I can remember as a
girl and a young mother, I thought that I didn’t have a talent. I thought that I was “a jack of all trades
and a master of none.” I thought well
that’s okay, I can do a bunch of things kind of good. But I was always envious of Judy and
Glennda. Judy had a lovely alto voice
and Glennda could draw beautifully even as a girl. As time went by and I
watched my children, I remember giving them opportunities in different things. I thought I’ll see what they are good
at. I remember Brian coming home from 3rd
or 4th grade and he had discovered Hardy Boys mysteries. He even
took his book to a dinner at church! I
remember he didn’t like baseball, but he was excellent at supporting Brad and
Amy in their activities. I remember Amy
discovered dancing in the 8th grade when the Jefferson teachers came
to their middle school. Then with Brad
and Brian’s urging she tried out for Gendrils at Grant High School. She made it and danced all 4 years. I remember when Brad was in high school he
was noticed by his choir teacher and she asked him to learn a song for a solo
contest in the school district. Each
year he got better and by his junior year he was taking voice lessons and
auditioning for the lead in South Pacific and Annie Get your Gun.
I also discovered that different talents are important at
different times. Those talents that our
children discover when they are young help them to grow up, learn new things,
discover things about themselves and their self-esteem climbs. Not ever teenager in the same family is going
to be good at the same things. Sometimes
shyness or not wanting to be compared to each other enters in. But I remember Brian watching with such pride
as his sister and brother performed. He
even was a dancer/singer in Annie Get your Gun and Amy secured a spot at a
young girl in the same production. I
also remember reading some of Brian’s papers in high school and college. I was totally amazed at his ability to
express himself and reach remarkable conclusions.
Why am I retelling all this?
It is because those talents were terrific at that time. They helped my
children through the difficult teen years.
They gained experience in tackling something hard and succeeded. As
college students, spouses then parents - those experiences helped them whether
they realize it or not. I see my grandchildren exposing their children to
sports, books, activities and socializing.
What wonderful effort that will see wonderful rewards.
Now back to me being a “jack of all trades and a master of
none”, it is very interesting when I think about it. I remember writing to Michael Schnell when he
had to put his talent and love of photography on the shelf for a time, while
securing a job to support his family. I
told him at the time that he should never forget about his talent and that very
likely later in life he will be able to pour his heart into his talent and his
love of photography. I gave myself as an
example. Mom made sure that I learned to
play the piano. At 8 she taught me
basics and kind of let me then teach myself.
When we moved to Portland at age 12 ½, I started piano lessons. I never did get really good. I was what you would call an
intermediate. But at age 56 I married a
musician. He plopped me right into a
band reading the bass part of the arrangements and playing through a “nano-bass”
where the sound came out sounding like an acoustic stand-up bass. Later he plopped me into playing piano and ‘comping’. After 13 years it became something that I
could hold my head up and smile and be proud.
Even though the marriage didn’t work out, he told me I had more natural
talent than he did. But the difference
was, he started at an early age and practiced hours and hours a day. He became very good and traveled as a
professional musician. He also said,
that I shouldn’t be too hard on myself because my parents had no way of knowing
that I had that talent. I was raised on a farm for heavens sake. Mom played, so
we wanted each of us kids to play.
Marrying Burgess was good for me and helped me learn things about myself
that I would never have learned any other way.
Now I have a band and I teach piano.
I’m still not the best piano player around – but I’m much better than I
was. I still have difficulty sight reading, but I know my chords (from lessons
I took at 12, 13 years of age) and I used playing in Burgess’ band and in my
own band.
I also have another talent that my mom encouraged. When I was a freshman at Gresham High School
I took a “Home Economics Class”. Half of
the year was cooking and half of the year was sewing. I loved the cooking, it was easy because I
cooked at home. But the sewing class
opened up avenues of expression that I could never have imagined at the
time. I remember bring home a skirt from
my class and I didn’t know how I would sew the hem by hand. Mom sat down and showed me how to sew a blind
hem by hand and my teacher was totally amazed and of course I got an A. After that I just kept sewing. Clothes for college, wedding dress for
Glennda, suit for Brian when he started passing the sacrament at age 12 (boy
was I proud of that suit), dresses for Amy, jeans for all 3, and lots of
clothes for my kids. Then when I started
having grandchildren, I brought out my knitting needles and made sweaters and
vests for them. My grandmother had
taught me how to knit and purl when I was 10 or 11. Bless her.
When I moved to Arizona with Burgess I started quilting in earnest. It was my escape from 12 hours a day of music-music-music. I have now given some of those early quilts
to my family. But since then I have made
quilts when my grandchildren got married. And on and on.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that we just never know
what little exposure will turn into a gift/talent that can be made into being “a
master of something.” Our love/talent
may be delayed for a while; mine was delayed 40 years.
I enjoy reading quotes from famous and not famous
people.
·
“Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours
and hours of beating on your craft.”
Will Smith
·
“Your talent is
God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God”. Leo Buscaglia
·
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” Albert Einstein
·
“Talent
is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given.
Be careful.” John Wooden
·
“When
I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a
single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me”. Erma Bombeck
I realize that we all have something to offer to this
world. Heavenly Father sent us here
(luckily in this family to members) to learn, grow, develop talents and help
others; our children, our siblings, our parents, our associates, our friends
and others. Our talents help us along
the way. One of the great pleasures I
have at this stage of my life is bringing music to people. My band isn’t famous, it isn’t current and it
isn’t going to be; but the older people that hear my music smile, remember and
I see joy in their faces. It is an extra
plus when they come up to me after and want to tell me a story or thank me for
helping them remember or compliment me.
At this age what could be better.
Have a wonderful week.
Love Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, Sister and Aunt Suzanne
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