Change Happens

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves: we must die to one life before we can enter into another! ~Anatole France, French poet, journalist, and novelist

From the time I was a child, my dad used to remind me, The only things certain are death and taxes.

To that list, I’d add change.

Seven years(!) ago now, I started playing in community band. And as Fate would have it, another flute player showed up for her first practice session the same night I did.

We sat together and muddled through, giving each other confidence to continue — despite the fast runs of Sousa marches and the obvious proficiency of the others in our section.

And we bonded. While I had only been playing for a few years, she’d played back in high school but hadn’t touched her flute in decades.

Putting us at an even level of ability.

And that spurred a bit of healthy competition as each of us worked to improve our playing skills so we wouldn’t get left behind. I took lessons and practiced regularly; for her, muscle memory was all it took for her to improve.

We had other things in common, too: aging mothers, young adult children, a love of physical activity, appreciation for life’s blessings.

So when she didn’t show up for symphonic band this past school term, nor community band this summer, I texted her with my concern.

Turns out, her world is changing. She’s retiring from her career this fall and planning to relocate out of state.

Sigh.

I’m going to miss her. Yes, there are other flute players I enjoy spending time with, but sometimes you just click with someone. And when that someone goes away, there’s a void.

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.~Brian A. “Drew” Chalker