Today's Subject – Persistence

One of my favorite things about the end of summertime is being able to open all of the windows to let the cool August breeze move through my townhouse. I love to hear the birds chirping, the sound of a lawn mower in the distance and the leaves rustling as the wind brushes against each branch. With the unbearable heat of July far behind us, I was looking forward to soaking in whatever summer had left to give. What I did not anticipate was listening to my neighbors, (who are equally enjoying the luxury of nature's air-conditioning as well) tween daughter's first encounters with learning the clarinet.

Every morning at 9am and every evening after dinner, I have been an unintentional audience to every awkward stage as the girl works through each note hoping to make it through the scales flawlessly. Her determination is evident in that every wrong note inspires her to start from the beginning to make sure she gets it right.           

I have to admit, I was royally annoyed with having to be a victim of her learning curve. I would be going about my business enjoying the sounds of nature which are now suddenly drowned out by the painstaking sounds of this musical instrument that was inspired by the noise a kicking rabbit makes when it is caught in the jaw of its fox. I would loudly slam my windows shut thinking, "Why can't they shut their windows?" and "Do they realize how annoying that is?" or "Why are you making the rest of us suffer through your child's poor choice of woodwind?"

I accepted defeat, realized this was just a phase she is going through and that I would have sacrifice my love of the fresh air in the house for the remainder of the summer.

It wasn't until this weekend that I had a change of heart. I was in the middle of much delayed spring cleaning on Saturday morning when her first practice of the weekend began. The irritation that I expected to feel wasn't there. I heard her make it through the entire piece without having to stop to start over! The girl's practice was paying off as she glided from one note to the next and successfully finished "Hot Cross Buns" for the first time in a month. I was unexpectedly overwhelmed with appreciation that I was able to be privy to her development in the arts. I gave a mental kudos to her parents for holding her accountable for her practice sessions and I suddenly admired their daughter's persistence. Where was this appreciation before?

And why hadn't I realized how beautiful this whole situation really is? This is
persistence in a tangible form. I audibly witnessed her persistence paying off
just in time for her to start learning the next song in the book!

As she moves forward to the next stage of learning, and essentially starting all over again with the same fumbling fingers, her new song awaits to be mastered. Each song is a challenge, just like the challenges God puts in front of me; her musical journey sort of like my relationship with God. I struggle to play the right way, but I fumble through the mistakes, hit the wrong notes, and sometimes I have to start all over again in order to make it to the next challenge that God has in store. Just as her practice is making her a better player with more music to share, God’s challenges make me persist to be a better person with more give to others.

Confessions of a 28 year old Single White Female is a personal blog that discusses life lessons, self-actualization, and daily realizations in the midst of a hectic life.