Being Yourself

Yesterday I went to a piano performance at an assisted living home. The pianists were were excellent and played some incredible piano duets by Debussy, Rachmaninoff, etc. But the most memorable part of the concert was not the performers, but the audience. Maybe a dozen silver and white haired ladies were scattered about the room patiently, but not so quietly waiting for the performance to begin. The performers were setting up and went to take the giant flower arrangement off of the piano so it wouldn't rattle around while they played. This created an uproar from the audience. "No! Don't take those flowers off. If you take those off I'm leaving!" So they left the flowers on the piano. When they started playing the piano the not-so-quiet comments began: "Too loud!" "Oooh, they're good!" "Are they sisters?" "We've had piano performances all week." One man said to his wife, "If this is bothering you, we can leave." There was one lady on the front row with a big smile bobbing her head to the music, having a grand old time. And then two seats down was a lady plugging her ears.

I was smiling and giggling inside as I sat there listening to the music and to the ongoing conversations around the room. I contemplated living and getting old. As people age they seem to revert to childlike ways: not worried about what other people think, saying whatever is on their mind, comfortable with who they are. There is something to be learned from this. We often are too concerned about what is proper, what others might think, always comparing ourselves to everyone else.

I need to be more like these elderly sweethearts. Not necessarily shouting out in a performance. But not being afraid to be myself, my own person, and not comparing myself to others.

Pictures:

1. Me and my Grandmother Babcock in 2005 before I left on my mission. She died while I was gone.

2. Me (with my pudgy post-mission face) and my Grandpa Bigelow in 2007 before he died that year.

All of my grandparents have passed away. I love them an miss them, but I know I will be with them again. If you are reading this and your grandparents (or parents) are still alive, please don't take them for granted. Spend time with them, learn from them, love them.