It's December 1, and I've barely had a moment to reflect on my very rich life right now. The musical journey is incredible and I am overflowing with gratitude. In fact, I have decided to list 30 things I am thankful for - one for each day in November. So brace yourselves for the longest post in a while, friends.
1. Joshua. Did you know this man does our family laundry now? It's one thing that I don't have to worry about in my life. Clean clothes just appear in our bedroom every few days. He also picks up Laura from karate so I can make it to my choir rehearsal on time. He figures out dinner most weekday evenings and some weekends, even if that means a run to Outback carryout because I'm too exhausted to move from the couch. In order for me to keep up my frantic pace of work, school, music work, and music ensembles, there has to be someone behind the scenes keeping me together. Thankfully, I've got an amazing silent partner.
2. Jonathan. I totally luck out in the timing of this call to music ministry. Or maybe I was more open to the call because of the timing in my life. Either way, my independent 12-year-old needs so little day-to-day care from me at this point that I am able to pursue my dreams. This boy wakes up in the 5AM hour every morning without an alarm clock. He gets himself dressed, makes himself breakfast, and is out the door by 6:30. Most mornings I get up around 6:15 just to make sure there's nothing that needs signed for school. He helps to carry in groceries, feed the dogs, and just generally help around the house. My only concern with him is that he's starting to grow a mustache and he's only about an inch shorter than me now. The teenage years come too quickly!
3. Laura. I think I've found myself a cheerleader. This girl gets dragged to church early nearly every Sunday because I'm involved in something musical. I think I've heard her complain once in all that time. She loves helping me with ORUUC's Children's Choir, including listening in to give a kids perspective when I'm deciding on new music. She's also the puppy caretaker, a job she is always happy to fulfill. Our puppy cries when she goes upstairs to bed, even though Josh and I are still there to play with her. Somehow Laura is just more fun than we are. Laura is also the queen of being excited about life. Everywhere we go, she's the first to say, "Mom, look at that!" She sings along and dances to her favorite songs on the radio. She reminds me that life is meant to be lived.
4. Parents. My parents in all forms. My Mom, my Dad, my Dad's girlfriend, my in-laws. Each of them carry me along this journey in some way. My Mom sent me condolence cards when my dogs passed away and then a gift card to PetSmart when we adopted new ones. My Dad and his girlfriend invited us over for an amazing Thanksgiving feast and then came to my first Christmas concert of the season. My in-laws are taking the kids for a few days over Winter Break. It takes a village.
5. Clara. After the heartbreak of losing our two dogs within a week of one another, Clara has been the beacon of light that there is truly more love somewhere. Though timid, Clara has settled right in with our family and has built a deep level of trust in each of us. It's beautiful. There is literally no way to avoid a smile when her tail is wagging at you. This week, Clara is at the vet's office getting her first treatment for heart worm. I'm looking forward to having her back at home soon.
6. Milly. Oh, Milly. Milly the puppy stole our hearts within the first few minutes we saw her. She loves everybody, loves to cuddle, and loves to play. Mostly, she loves to chew. On anything and everything in our house. She actually stole Jonathan's slipper from off of his foot. Fearless and hyper, she's an excellent balance for shy and mellow Clara. Milly finally slept through the night a few days ago, which has given me renewed energy. It's impossible not to laugh at her antics.
7. Oak Ridge Animal Shelter / Friends of Oak Ridge Animal Shelter. Thank you for rescuing dogs like Clara (Juniper) and Milly (Savannah) so families like mine can experience the vitality they bring to our home. Special thank you to FORAS for funding Clara's heart worm treatment.
8. ORUUC. I don't thank this church enough for all of the encouragement and support I've received. From the early days of questioning why our house band had no sheet music to playing my first piano solo in service, I've received an endless amount of patience, opportunity to grow, and kinds words to carry me on my journey. Thank you to each and every person who walks along side me on my spiritual path and my musical journey.
9. Kids Choir. I've been in my role as ORUUC's Children's Choir Director since August. I continue to learn from our kids everyday. Most rehearsals, we start out with a "dance break" where I hook my iPhone to a portable speaker and play a song for us all to move a little bit. I started letting the kids pick the music and got a pleasant surprise when one girl asked for Sting's "Fields of Gold" and one boy asked for the Beatles. The know more about music then I have given them credit for! They also retain so much information from week to week! We've learned about quarter notes and rests, eighth notes and half notes. Even the repeat symbol. They challenge me to make music fun!
10. My friends. I hate grouping all of my friends into one big thank you, but this post would be entirely too long if I mention each person individually. Thank you to friends who invite me out for lunch, or coffee, or dinner, or dancing. Thank you to friends who invite my kids over for play dates and sleepovers. Thank you to friends who are also babysitters. Thank you to friends who make music with me. Thank you to friends who teach me music. Thank you to friends who listen to me vent about really petty stuff in my life. Thank you to friends who go out of their way to spend time with me. Thank you to friends who show love when I need it most. Thank you to one friend in particular for using Kohl's rewards to make my new awesome winter coat more affordable.
11. My day job. I'm not sure if I've mentioned lately that my musical journey is truly financed and made possible by my day job. In general, music classes are not offered in the evenings. It's not like business classes or classes geared toward working folks. So, I take my music classes during the day. Thankfully, my day job in training & development allows me flexibility with a work-at-home schedule, so I am able to take classes early in the morning and at lunchtime. My day job also pays the bill for school. And, just when you thought things couldn't get better, I have a wonderful boss who actually checks in to see how my musical development is progressing and was genuinely excited for me when I got my choir director job at Westside. My day job also encourages me to be active, with my running goals built into my performance plan and rewarded with points that can be spent on health items. Everyone should have a job like this.
12. My health. I would guess that at least once a day, someone mentions to me that they could never keep up with my schedule. I am thankful that my body and mind, in general, let me keep at this breakneck pace. Occasionally, like this past week, my body reminds me that I need to make time for rest. But most of the time I'm able to go, then go, then go some more before I collapse into bed and start my day again. And although I'm not keeping up with my running as much, I have been regularly walking the new dogs and was able to run/walk a 5K on Thanksgiving.
13. Ebb and flow. This should probably rank higher on my list. Without the breaks in my schedule, I would never rest and recover. My classes are wrapping up for the semester. One music ensemble has finished our holiday performance and won't rehearse again until January. Every once in a while, there's that unexpected night off on my calendar. Those nights I spend on the couch watching Dr. Who with my family. Or spend at karate watching Laura in class instead of just dropping her off. I treasure those moments when I can reconnect with my family ... and my bed.
14. Teachers. I've had some great teachers this semester. My Music Theory teacher shares new material in a way that makes it approachable. She gives us hints and tips to remembering all the terms. I have to admit, I kind of like analyzing music. It's like solving a puzzle. My Piano teacher always has a kind word for my pieces and suggests ways to improve to make the music even better. She's very supportive and encouraging.
15. Challenges. Yes, I'm thankful for challenges. How will I make it through the Ear Training software? How will I get Jonathan to an audition and Laura to a playdate and myself to a rehearsal at the same time? How the heck do we add two new dogs (including a puppy!) into the mix of our already busy family life? These challenges are just asking for creative solutions - they stretch me to think outside of the box. Sometimes a great plan comes together... and sometimes we learn a valuable lesson for next time. I once heard a fitness coach talk about how in order to become more fit, you have to "stress the system." When these challenges pop up, I imagine how we will all grow because we're stressing the system.
Continued in Part Two...
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