Subject: Beautiful Story. Well worth a re read if you have seen it before.
> Subject: Beautiful Story. Well worth a re read if you have seen it before. > > > > *This is a true story and it will give you the chills.* > > > This is a beautiful and touching story of love and perseverance. Well > worth the read. > > > At the prodding of my friends I am writing this story. My name is > Mildred Honor and I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des > Moines , Iowa . I have always supplemented my income by teaching piano > lessons - something I have done for over 30 years. > > > During those years I found that children have many levels of musical > ability,and even though I have never had the pleasure of having a > prodigy, I have taught some very talented students. However, I have also > had my share of what I call 'musically challenged' pupils - one such > pupil being Robby.. > > > Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off > for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys) > begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said > that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano, > so I took him as a student. > > > Well, Robby began his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it > was a hopeless endeavour. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of > tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his > scales and some elementary piano pieces that I require all mystudents to > learn. > Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and > tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he would always > say 'My mom's going to hear me play someday'. But to me, it seemed > hopeless, he just did not have any inborn ability. > > > I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or > waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled, but > never dropped in. > > > Then one day Robby stopped coming for his lessons.. I thought about > calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of ability he had > decided to pursue something else. I was also glad that he had stopped > coming - he was a bad avertisement for my teaching! > > > Several weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the students' homes.To > my surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer) asked me if he could be in > the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and that > because he had dropped out, he really did not qualify. He told me that > his mother had been sick and unable to take him to his piano lessons, > but that he had been practicing. 'Please Miss Honor, I've just got to > play' he insisted. I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the > recital - perhaps it was his insistence or maybe something inside of me > saying that it would be all right. > > > The night of the recital came and the high school gymnasium was packed > with parents, relatives and friends. I put Robby last in the program, > just before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a > finishing piece. I thought that any damage he might do would come at the > end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance > through my 'curtain closer'. > > > > > Well, the recital went off without a hitch, the students had been > practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on the stage. His clothes > were wrinkled and his hair looked as though he had run an egg beater > through it. > 'Why wasn't he dressed up like the other students?' I thought 'Why > didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special > night?' Robby pulled out the piano bench, and I was surprised when he > announced that he had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto No. 21 in C > Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light > on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from > pianissimo to fortissimo, from allegro to virtuoso; his suspended chords > that Mozart demands were magnificent! > Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age. > > > After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo, and everyone > was on their feet in wild applause! Overcome and in tears, I ran up on > stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. 'I have never heard you play > like that Robby, how did you do it?' Through the microphone Robby > explained: 'Well, Miss Honor .... remember I told you that my mom was > sick? Well, she actually had cancer and passed away this morning. And > well ..... she was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she had ever > heard me play, and I wanted to make it special.' > > > There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from > Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed in to foster care, > I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy. I thought to myself > then how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil. No, > I have never had a prodigy, but that night I became a prodigy ...... of > Robby. He was the teacher and I was the pupil, for he had taught me the > meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself, and may be > even taking a chance on someone and you didn't know why. > > > Robby was killed years later in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P > Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April, 1995. > > > And now, a footnote to the story. If you are thinking about forwarding > this message, you are probably wondering which people on your address > list aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. The > person who sent this to you believes that we can all make a difference! > So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us > with a choice -Do we act with compassion or do we pass up that > opportunity and leave the world a bit colder in the process? > > > You now have two choices:1. Delete this; OR 2. Forward it to the people > you care about.You know the choice I made. *Thank you for reading this > May God Bless you today, tomorrow and always. If God didn't have a > purpose for us, we wouldn't be here! * > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Disclaimer: > This message is confidential and is intended for the addresse, and may > also be privileged. Any unauthorized disclosure, > copying, distribution or use of this message is strictly prohibited, > and if done, will result in strict legal action. > This message is not guaranteed to be complete or error free. No > liability is assumed for any errors and/or ommissions > in the contents of the message. > > > > > >
