There are moments when you feel your heart is going to burst from happiness. Last night was just such a moment.
My grand kids, Rémi and Gabi, came in from Dubai. After an exhausting 19 hour flight into Dallas, followed by a nine-hour drive to New Orleans, they finally arrived.
I had been bouncing in my seat all day in anticipation.
They arrived, a little travel worn and obviously weary, but the conversation just flowed. They loved on my dogs, remarked how small they now seemed (since they last saw our guys, they have adopted two large dogs of their own), and then the magical really started.
Rémi and Gabi are musicians. They play anything they can get their hands on, and there is almost always an instrument within easy reach (one of the tasks for today will be to go to pick up some drum sticks for Gab, who accidentally left hers behind). Rémi picked up his guitar and started playing riff after riff. Blues, hard rock, classical guitar... the music just flowed from fingers faster than sight.
Ok, it's true. I am both irritated and jealous.
And then I did something that was outside of my comfort zone.
I picked up my banjo. And with fat, clumsy fingers, I began to pick. Simple tune, missed notes, out-of-tempo ornamentation. But I played.
And after a moment or two, it started easing up a little, I got less self conscious, and started playing better. I handed it over, and Rémi played a couple of tunes that sounded alien and beautiful on the banjo. Flamenco riffs, plucked easily, but played by fingers used to different tuning. Like a new language in the mouth of a brilliant student, the language of the banjo was unfamiliar but beautiful.
He handed it back, and I played again.
Gabi took a turn, and worked her way through a couple of tunes she knew, and smiled.
Interspersed throughout the evening was music and laughter and happiness, as we talked story and shared experiences with their folks and them... for hours.
It was everything we could have hoped for. Pure joy.
My grand kids, Rémi and Gabi, came in from Dubai. After an exhausting 19 hour flight into Dallas, followed by a nine-hour drive to New Orleans, they finally arrived.
I had been bouncing in my seat all day in anticipation.
They arrived, a little travel worn and obviously weary, but the conversation just flowed. They loved on my dogs, remarked how small they now seemed (since they last saw our guys, they have adopted two large dogs of their own), and then the magical really started.
Rémi and Gabi are musicians. They play anything they can get their hands on, and there is almost always an instrument within easy reach (one of the tasks for today will be to go to pick up some drum sticks for Gab, who accidentally left hers behind). Rémi picked up his guitar and started playing riff after riff. Blues, hard rock, classical guitar... the music just flowed from fingers faster than sight.
Ok, it's true. I am both irritated and jealous.
And then I did something that was outside of my comfort zone.
I picked up my banjo. And with fat, clumsy fingers, I began to pick. Simple tune, missed notes, out-of-tempo ornamentation. But I played.
And after a moment or two, it started easing up a little, I got less self conscious, and started playing better. I handed it over, and Rémi played a couple of tunes that sounded alien and beautiful on the banjo. Flamenco riffs, plucked easily, but played by fingers used to different tuning. Like a new language in the mouth of a brilliant student, the language of the banjo was unfamiliar but beautiful.
He handed it back, and I played again.
Gabi took a turn, and worked her way through a couple of tunes she knew, and smiled.
Interspersed throughout the evening was music and laughter and happiness, as we talked story and shared experiences with their folks and them... for hours.
It was everything we could have hoped for. Pure joy.
2 comments:
May God Bless Ya All Real Good.
Have a Great Holiday Season
Oh my goodness. I am so thrilled and jealous. I hope your time together continues to fill your dreams.
Post a Comment