I sold an old friend over the weekend.....

not a person, lest you think I'm in human trafficking, but rather my first piano. I am loving my new piano that I bought last fall, but I feel like I've given up a piece of myself letting my old piano go. Obviously, I don't have room for two pianos, but still.....this piano had a story.

On Valentine's Day 1996, a truck pulled up into my driveway. I wasn't expecting anything so as I looked out of my big front window, I was perplexed. Then the driver stepped out. I recognized him as an employee of Weathers Music, where Jay and I had been perusing pianos several days earlier. I wistfully looked at them, but didn't think we'd be able to buy one at that point, so I sadly ignored the small dream I felt of owning my own piano. So, when the man opened the back of the truck, I was surprised to see a piano, the very one we had been looking at. Was it a brand new piano? No, but I didn't care. It was a piano that had been previously owned, but rarely played. It may not have been the most beautiful piano, but it was beautiful to me and that was all that mattered. It was probably one of the best surprises I had ever received and Jay was so secretive, I suspected nothing. The man, who was actually part owner in Weather's I believe, said he didn't usually do deliveries, but knew this was a surprise and wanted to see my reaction. How sweet!

Fast forward 16 years....the piano now showed signs of being well loved, well used and had a few battle scars. One of the kids opened it too quickly and too forcefully and the lid cracked slightly. It also bore an "AN" scratched into it, right above the name of the piano manufacturer. Had I been a few seconds later, it would've read "ANNA." My little vandal. It had a bass clef F# that liked to stick, until it was fixed by an experienced piano tuner. Most importantly, no matter how it looked, it had a great tone and meant a lot to me. I miss it. Katie was sad when I talked to her last week and told her I sold it. It was the piano she learned on. I've taught many fabulous students on it over the years. It's been well loved. And now it's gone on to a new home, where hopefully it will remain well loved.

Though the piano is gone, the love with which it was given, is not. I'll remember that surprise for the rest of my life.