When I was little, my dad would often play the piano in the evening after we had gone to bed. I'll never forget lying there with my eyes closed, listening as the music serenaded us to sleep. My dad would usually play with the living room nearly dark, or as we often said, "by the light of the moon." He didn't need the light to read the music, he would just play from his heart and let his fingers find their way across the keys.
Once or twice, my siblings and I didn't fall asleep, but had whispered a secret plan to each other as we lay there and waited till the music finished. As the last note died down, my brothers and sisters and I erupted in a chorus of cheers and clapping; our hearts filled with joy and delight over the wonderful music he played.
Do you remember that, Dad? I don't think we ever knew if you heard us yelling "Encore" or not, but we could not contain our applause. In our simple and childish way, we had to express how much we loved the music you brought into our home.
To this day, I love playing the piano in the late evening as well. I hope that I can make the same memory for my children as they drift off to the Land of Nod. I often feel tears in my eyes and a shiver of delight, as I play in the darkness by the light of the moon. Or, in this case, by the soft light of the Christmas tree.
8 comments:
Such a pretty picture. Wouldn't your dad wake you up on Sunday morning with an Organ concert as well?
Dolly!! I cannot believe you remember this!! :) But yes!! Every Sunday morning we'd hear the Organ music (on cassette tape) as we woke up :)
i have the same memories from my childhood!! that is so amazing! my father would play the piano and eventually all the girls would be gathered around him (all sisters in the family) singing along. that is one of my fondest memories from my childhood!! i am so glad you get to share that with your kids as well. a piano would not survive our nomadic lifestyle. we have not found one here yet :-(
Kay-- that is so cool! I love how music is able to create bonds where sometimes words would fail.
And I know what you mean about piano's and nomadic lifestyles! I get SO nervous every time we PCS and the movers come pick up the piano. In fact, I can't watch. I have to go wait in another room until it's safely in the truck (or house). Providentially, our piano has survived remarkably well.
i am so thankful that it has survived!! i always forget to click the 'email responses' button, so i have no idea how many times you may have written back, i apologize for that.
if we get to stay here for our 3yr follow on, we get a piano, and then i get to teach the kids and work out my cob webs.... but i just can't play in front of others, i have severe stage fright.
my mother is trying to get dad to give away his organ. they need the space and it needs some repairs that they can't afford, but i would be sad not to ever hear him hammer out bach on it again!
this was lovely to read.
such a beautifully written post! I wish my kids were the kind that could fall asleep to the piano - if I go anywhere near the piano they hop on and start banging away as well:) which is good too. did you take the picture?
Thank you, Theresa! I think that's why I mostly play at night too: then I can finally play on my own without 6 little helping hands on the piano.
And yes the picture was taken by me...I'm not the best photographer for sure, but I have an awesome camera and am working at it! :) It was taken in our living room of my beautiful piano and the Christmas tree in the foreground. Merry Christmas to you!
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