At the prodding of my friends I am
writing this story. My name is Mildred
Honor. I am a former elementary school Music Teacher from Des Moines, Iowa.
I have always supplemented my income by
Teaching Piano Lessons...Something I have done for over 30 years. During those
years, I found that Children have many levels of musical ability, and even
though I have never had the prodigy, I have taught some very talented students.
However, I have also had my share of what I call 'Musically Challenged Pupils.
One such Pupil being Robby. Robby was 11
years old when his Mother (a Single Mom) dropped him off for his first Piano
Lesson. I prefer that Students (especially Boys) begin at an earlier age, which
I explained to Robby. But Robby said
that it had always been his Mother's Dream to hear him play the Piano, so I
took him as a Student.
At the end of each weekly Lesson he
would always say 'My Mom's going to hear me Play someday.' But to me, it seemed hopeless, he just did
not have any Inborn Ability. I only knew his Mother from a distance as she
dropped Robby off or waited in her aged Car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled, but never
dropped in;
Then one day Robby stopped coming for
his Lessons. I thought about calling
him, but assumed that because of his lack of Ability he had decided to pursue
something else. I was also glad that he had stopped coming. He was a Bad
Advertisement for my Teaching!
Several Weeks later I mailed a flyer
recital to the Students' homes. To my surprise, Robby (who had received a
flyer) asked if he could be in the Recital. I told him that the Recital was for
current Pupils and that because he had dropped out, he really did not qualify.
He told me that his Mother had been sick
and unable to take him to his piano lessons, but that he had been
practicing. 'Please Miss Honor, I've
just got to Play,' he insisted. I don't know what led me to allow him to play
in the Recital - perhaps it was his insistence or maybe something inside of me
saying that it would be all right;
The night of the Recital came and the
high school gymnasium was packed with Parents, Relatives and Friends. I put
Robby last in the Program, just before I was to come up and thank all the
Students and Play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he might do
would come at the end of the Program and I could always salvage his poor
performance through my 'Curtain Closer'.
Well, the Recital went off without a
Hitch, the Students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on
the stage. His Clothes were wrinkled and his Hair looked as though he had run
an egg beater through it. 'Why wasn't he dressed up like the other Students?' I
thought. 'Why didn't his Mother at least make him Comb his Hair for this
Special Night?'
Robby pulled out the Piano bench, and I
was Surprised when he announced that he had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto
No.21 in C Major. I was not prepared for
what I heard next. His fingers were
light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the Ivories. He went from Pianissimo to Fortissimo, from
Allegro to Virtuoso; his Suspended Chords that Mozart demands were
Magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played
so well by anyone his age.
After six and a half minutes, he ended
in a Grand Crescendo, and everyone was on their feet in Wild Applause!!!
Overcome and in Tears, I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in Joy;
'I have never heard you play like that
Robby, how did you do it?' Through the
Microphone Robby explained: 'Well, Miss Honor, Remember I told you that my Mom
was sick? Well, she actually had Cancer
and Passed Away this Morning. And well... she was Born Deaf, so tonight was the first time she
had ever heard me Play, and I wanted to make it Special.,
There wasn't a Dry Eye in the house that
evening. As People from Social Services
led Robby from the stage to be placed in to Foster Care, I noticed that even
their Eyes were red and Puffy. I thought
to myself then how much Richer my Life had been for taking Robby as my Pupil.
No, I have never had a Prodigy, but that
night I became a Prodigy... of Robby. He was the Teacher and I was the Pupil,
for he had taught me the meaning of Perseverance and Love and Believing in yourself,
and may be even taking a chance on someone and you didn't know why.
THE END
A Footnote to the story. If you are
thinking about forwarding this Message, you are probably wondering which People
on your address list aren't the 'appropriate' Ones to receive this type of
Message. The Person who sent this to you believes that we can all make a Difference!!!
If God didn't have a Purpose for us, we
wouldn't be here! So, Live Simply; Love Generously; Care deeply; Give freely!
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