Almost eleven years ago I took a seven year old little girl to her first violin lesson. It happened to be on her birthday. We painted her fingernails and she picked out her favorite sun-dress. It was a beautiful print with over-sized garden vegetables in primary colors. She wore a big red bow in her chestnut hair. I will never forget the feeling of just knowing that this day really was something special. What I did not know was that we were meeting the woman who would have as much to do with shaping Anna's future and character as her daddy and I ever would.
Eighty-one year old Mrs. Johnson greeted us with a heavy, German accent. Walking into her music room was like stepping into another dimension, a different era. Her wavy hair was coiffed into a style straight from the 1940's and her make-up was beautifully coordinated to her outfit. She quickly sized Anna up as "the cherub". The twinkle those bright blue eyes told us that the afternoon's pampering had paid off with a favorable first impression. For the next seven years the student mimicked the teacher.
This evening I have the privilege of introducing my youngest daughter to this remarkable woman. From past experience we know that this is no ordinary day. Again I spent the afternoon preparing one of my little ones for one of the most important meetings of her life and a day that I hope she will never forget. Mrs. Johnson will teach her so much more than music, she will invest almost a century's worth of wisdom into yet another pupil who will insure that her legacy continues long after she's gone.
No comments:
Post a Comment