The Gift of Music

Feb 24, 2022 09:47 AM Central
Peggy Wright
Family Life, Personal Growth, Spiritual Life
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The Gift of Music

I teach beginner piano to the girls I babysit and so enjoy watching them connect with music! The youngest came to her lesson in a princess dress and draped it over the side of the bench as she sat beside me with a lovely bow in her freshly brushed hair. We talked to her fingers about how strong and capable they have grown since we began. They have each learned to take their place on the keys and take turns offering their note to make beautiful melodies!

After reviewing the keyboard, intervals and notes on a staff, she sailed through four songs earning stickers with each success to mark the wins! To finish I asked her if she wanted to play a game on the piano together or if she would prefer to dance while I played a song.

With her spectacular dress, I'm sure you can guess her preference was to dance and twirl. I asked if she wanted a fast song or a slow graceful one. Graceful it was!

I love how music can be such a gift to destress, create, move and play! Andrew often goes to the piano after a day of classes to unwind and use a different part of his brain! I love listening as he grows his ability to play complex arrangements! And, of course, I love to play, create, dance and worship with music!

The harmony of music is also full of wonderful metaphors. I told the eldest about the song "Ebony and Ivory" from the 80's performed by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. I remember our Hudson version of the song harmonizing with my brother as we did the dishes! It still captures my heart's prayer that we would all thrive together!

Ebony and ivory

Live together in perfect harmony

Side by side on my piano keyboard

Oh, Lord, why don't we?

We all know that people are the same wherever you go

There's good and bad in everyone

We learn to live when we learn to give each other

What we need to survive together alive

Ebony and ivory

Live together in perfect harmony

Side by side on my piano keyboard

Oh, Lord, why don't we?

Songwriters: McCartney Paul James, 1981

Blessed are the peacemakers, dancers, poets, artists and musicians who add such beauty and insight to lighten our days!

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My Story - Turning Health Challenges Around

I was twenty-two years old and felt like 90. 

Every day I would get out of bed not knowing if I could make it to my 4th year classes. 
Some days I would shower and by the time I finished I felt dizzy, sleepy, and my muscles felt like lead. Sometimes I would be so weak that I had to crawl on all fours back to my bedroom to lay down again. I would get 12-14 hours of restless sleep that would leave me feeling like a truck hit me. I ached all over and my head felt like it would burst with the pounding pain. I was really sick - for months... and then years.    

My adult life was just beginning and I'd been handed a life sentence of chronic illness.   

I got married that fall to Lance Wright, my very supportive and understanding husband. He and I talked about taking a year off - no schedule - to allow my body to recover. I was on a downward spiral and had no answers about how to turn it around. My world shrunk - fast.  

But as my outward world shrunk, I was determined to grow my inner world through reading, prayer, and writing. I knew the diagnosis I'd been given wasn't the end of my story. I trusted that I'd find the steps needed to heal.   

One day as I was asking God to heal me, I got a picture in my mind of a drooping flower bound tightly by weeds. A flash of understanding came with it. I felt as if God was saying, "Healing will be a slow process. Trust me and I will lead you to part of the weed to loosen its hold and remove its influence." This became the perfect symbol for my wellness journey - bit by bit finding healing steps and feeling life and strength return.  

Part of my wellness picture was uncovering trauma that had taught my mind and body that I wasn't safe. So the safety of my relationship with Lance was the starting point for the hard work of healing. When I would get discouraged about how little I could accomplish each day, Lance would remind me that my full-time job in this season was to heal. After a digging deep process, digestive cleansing, and dietary changes over eight years, I started to gain ground. 

I am 52 this year and feel better than I did in my twenties. Lance and I have raised three young men together and I spent 17 years as a homeschool Mom. I have become passionate about helping people discern steps to get unstuck to move toward health. It feels redemptive to use the years of research and experimenting to shorten the road for others looking for a path forward. Enjoy perusing my blog or follow @pegwright | Linktree for a way to connect. I'd love to pull up a chair at our table and share with you the small steps that are opening doors of possibility for life-giving change.  Let's Thrive - together! 

For a full version of my exploration and self-discovery, read my book 'Opening to Grace' found on Amazon or fromWestbow Press.