Small Victories

“You played well today. See what happens when you practice?” 

I hold out the candy bowl and Alex’s face lights up as he chooses a bag of gummy worms. Big, brown eyes, tousled black hair… A beautiful child who’s bound to grow up to be a handsome man. But he’s not going to be an accomplished pianist. He's barely scraping by.

I suppose knowing the basics will be better than nothing.

He practically bolts out the door. His mom’s waiting in her SUV. We wave to each other. She's the one who should be taking lessons. She loves the piano.

Not that I’m accepting adult students! Phew! Four students back-to-back! It might not seem like a lot, but it’s plenty at the end of a workday. And I’m up to eight students a week with two more possibly starting next month.

I love my piano room! Standing back to admire... It’s the one room I’m not worried about. With the two bright, yellow armchairs and a small, gray loveseat accented with yellow pillows, there’s plenty of seating. And I’m happy with the way my repainted, repurposed nightstand turned out. The gray paint matches the loveseat, and it works between the chairs, just big enough for a lamp and the candy bowl. Plus, drawers! Pens, worksheets, stickers, extra candy…  

And I was finally able to frame some of the sheet music that came with my piano with my garage sale frames. Eight of them – and they look great along the wall. Thematic.

I can feel myself smiling as I tidy the room. I’m a piano teacher again! It’s a nice little boon to my budget, and I love the kids, love teaching them about music.

Small victories!