Music

We have been blessed to have found the world's best piano teacher. Sawyer and Haakon have been playing now for just over a year and have made enormous strides musically. I think they started at the right time and Murph, their teacher, is a nut. Turns out it's a good combination.

So tonight we had piano lessons after school. Our dining room suddenly feels very crowded replete with dishes, boxes, the microwave, the toaster oven & coffee maker. The den is now housing the fridge and dry food, and our bathroom sink is doing double duty. It's going to be a long month--and it felt especially so as I microwaved some soup bowl-by-bowl while Haakon worked with Murph tonight.

The kids are practicing olde tyme tunes in preparation for a piano recital at the assisted living home. The idea is to please the crowd and get used to playing while people are singing. While Haakon was wrapping things up, I heard a knock on the door and saw my mom in the doorway with my Gramma Jeanne in tow. Mom was dropping off a hotplate for cooking during the remodel and brought Jeanne along for an outing. I hugged my sweet, confused Gramma smiling warmly in tennis shoes, a floral skirt and wild hair.

Murph, seizing the moment, queued up Haakon to play "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." Out of the tangle of hugs and welcomes, the music drew my Gramma to the piano bench. She walked up behind Haakon, smiling, and sang along with Murph. He then played "In the Good Old Summertime," and she instinctively sang the alto harmony to Murph's soprano. Haakon accompanied the voices and then softly played his finishing chord. My heart rose to my throat watching my grandmother and my child collaborate in such a spontaneous and authentic way.

Sawyer got a turn, and played "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," and this time everyone sang along. Even Lars. I looked around the cluttered and crowded room watching everyone smiling and singing. Gramma looked purposeful and happy.

I will never cease being amazed by the power of music. It speaks to humanity in a way that I can't pretend to understand, but I see it and I believe it. Tonight, for a moment, the music transcended Alzheimers; the fog was lifted ..and in the clearing was a family, together, singing.