I like new things. Who doesn't, right?! But even better then getting to be the first to use something and break it in, is something old with an amazing story and getting the opportunity to add on to the legacy.
I have been wanting a piano. I play well enough for my own enjoyment and that's pretty much it. With Christmas coming I have hinted a couple times that I would like a piano to play. Nothing fancy. Christopher has told me before that he used to have a piano. He inherited from his mom. Who inherited it from her mom... who inherited it from her mom (is there supposed to be another generation?) who brought it across the plains in a covered wagon. It survived that, a fire, and even has a war wound from an arrow.
Quite the adventurous story for a piano!
Life circumstances brought Christopher to a place where he didn't have a place for the piano. Heartsick he sold the piano to a friends boss. He hated to do it and made them promise that if they ever decided they didn't want the piano to him to let him know. For weeks and months afterwards he was sick about it. Years passed and the regret never left. Especially when I came along wanting a piano.
We spoke again of his piano just 3 mornings ago after yet another one of my not so subtle hints 😉Yesterday Christopher was looking at pianos with the intent to surprise me (Isn't he the best? He's the sweetest!). We didn't know that we'd BOTH get a miraculous surprise. His friend called him out of the blue that afternoon. "Do you still want your piano?" She had seen the piano listed on Facebook by the daughter of her boss. Christopher's heart started pounding and racing. His friend reached out to the daughter. The piano was had been moved outside (in the snow) under a carport with an appointment for someone else to pick it up within a couple of hours. Christopher's friend reminded the daughter of the agreement made many years ago. She was not to give or sell that piano to anyone else.
See!? Miracles? 2 hours, 1 hour, maybe even 30 minutes later the piano would have been gone and lost to Christopher forever. We are grateful for good friends and incredible timing!!
Christopher called piano movers thinking that the soonest they could come would be the next day (today) They were booked today... but could do it right then! Even better! Tender mercies.
We have a piano!! It has a story. It has a legacy. I'm honored that I now get to be a part of it. Speaking of this experience Christopher said, "It's a real blessing. I mean a REAL BLESSING!" Christopher's family piano is back in the family. I have a piano to play. Though it is in desperate need of some TLC and a good tuning, I am so excited. This is incredible! Christopher lost both of his parents within a year and this will be his first Christmas without both of them. It's a tough thing that I don't yet understand (thankfully). I feel with this little miracle of bringing his family piano back to Christopher is that perhaps a miraculous acknowledgement of them and their love from the other side.
This year has been difficult and corona sure has messed up a lot of stuff on a scale from merely annoying to heart wrenching tragedies. Regardless, the miracles, tender mercies and blessings are here. I was bound and determined to make 2020 a good year, and when all the *ahem* hit the fan I still had high hopes for this year. So while I chuckle at lots of memes and garbage dumpster ornaments commemorating the 2020 as a trash year, I am grateful for this year. I'm not a hater of 2020. The ways we have learned, grown and been able to find the good in the bad. Christopher and I have been beyond blessed in so many ways. I am grateful for each and every one of those blessings and for the ability to recognize as many as I have as I'm sure there's more. As I look back on 2020 (as they say hindsight is 20/20) I'm sure I'll find many more.
