Whether for Ourselves or for Others

Summertime is once again upon us and, aside from swimming, I've been pondering on how to keep the kids happy and busy. My oldest son is off to Scout Camp, which is great for him. My younger daughters are involved in weekly gymnastics classes. My middle son is enrolled in summer school courses (Pre-K) and will soon take swim lessons with his sister. My oldest daughter, who is mildly autistic, is not involved with any lessons or social groups at this time. She does, however, love to pound out beautiful music on our piano. And when I say "pound," I really mean it. It's beautiful but it's also very loud.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about her piano playing is that it's all improvisation. Some of the songs are from movie themes while others are completely made up in her head. She never peruses sheet music. And while the chords are quite different than I've ever heard a particular song played in, the slightly dissonant sound seems to fit her personality. I would love it if perhaps she could transcribe the music she hears inside her head to paper. Maybe someday that might happen.

Writing is a little like piano improvisation. A first attempt usually comes out sounding a little dissonant, but as the writer fine-tunes his or her skills, the words will flow like a graceful melody. The old adage that "practice makes perfect" really is true.

Whatever it is you decide to do in life, practice your talents. Hone your skills. I speak from the experience of believing that I possessed no real talents. What I didn't realize is that there were hidden talents that were waiting to be unlocked, examined, and stretched into something recognizable and appreciated. Whether your talent is meant for others to see or for your enjoyment alone, it is worthy of the time it takes to develop it. Because like my daughter, who hears the music before we do, the chords of our lives will someday make a beautiful melody and enrich other lives in ways we may never know.