That All-Too-Rare Parenting Moment

I couldn’t believe it was happening; it felt impossible. Before I share the moment, let me set the stage. Because my wife, Carie, and I have benefitted so much from our musical performance endeavors, we insist that our girls take piano lessons. And by insist, I really mean demand. So, from age 5, our daughter, Anna, has taken private lessons, practicing almost every day for eight years. All the while, she claims to have hated most every moment of it.

A crazy thing happened a few months ago. Anna was asked by the Junior High choir director to play piano accompaniment for the sixth grade musical. It meant she’d be on her own, in front of a large audience, playing piano. A big deal for a 13 year-old eighth grader, or for anyone. Of course, she was nervous, so she practiced really hard. To put it simply, she performed very well. It was a very proud moment for her and for her parents. But that’s not what amazed me most. That happened at our dinner table.

Our second oldest, Rosalie, was complaining about having to go to piano lessons. She was laying out all of the reasons why piano doesn’t matter, how she’ll never use the skills she’s learning, and how her future will in no way benefit from the torture of practice. Then it happened. Anna launched into a very passionate defense of piano, telling her younger sister how “Mom was right; you’ll be glad you practiced…” and some other thoughts I can’t quite comprehend. All I recall is looking across the table at Carie and knowing that for just this moment, it all paid off. The child appreciated the parent, even if for a brief, fleeting moment.

Looking back to my last article, when I contrasted retirement planning with sports, I think this is an example of what we can hope for in our daily adventures. Again, no fanfare, no applause, just a moment or two of knowing that the effort we put into those we care about can bear fruit. The struggles, the persistence, and the love can manifest in a 13 year-old admitting that her parents aren’t complete idiots all the time.

This is the point in the story where I generally tie-in a retirement planning analogy. This time, I’m not going to do it. I’m simply asking you to enjoy a blissful parenting moment with me. These can be few and far between, so I think I’ll savor this one as long as I can. Thanks for savoring with me.