THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Make Others' Lives Better While Making Our Share of Mistakes

Guest Post:

My Grandma Belle was a treasure. She was an icon in the hometown where she played the piano for countless musical events. As a skilled accompanist, she made any artist she played for sound better. One day my father, then a child, answered the door to find two insurance salesmen on the porch. Seeing their briefcases, he immediately assumed they were musical instruments so he told them, “Come on in and tune up… Mother will be right down!”

When I began to play the piano, Grandma taught me the art of accompanying. “It is much different than performing, Kathy,” she told me. “As an accompanist you must be able to pass by mistakes. Your job is to make the artist look and sound their best… to keep the rhythm going no matter what.” Many times as Grandma looked at the music she was presented, she instinctively decided which parts she could leave out, enabling her to keep the tempo at a perfect speed. Even if the musician made a mistake, Grandma Belle was able to keep them progressing through the piece and the audience rarely knew.

As I thought of the principle of accompaniment, I compared it to our lives. Most of us, despite our imperfections, accompany others as we help them progress along their life’s path. I once read somewhere that ‘Those who love perfection don’t love life.” I suppose that thought resonated with me because there are so many areas in my own life that lack perfection. In fact, I believe if the world moved forward only on the efforts of perfect people, progress would come to a complete standstill. So…… if you aren’t the best cook, if sewing isn’t your cup of tea, if you need others to help you decorate, if most of your plants die, if you are in a rough patch with someone you love, and if you lose the same five pounds countless times, it is OK. You are still a worthwhile person. And just as Grandma Belle made artists sound better despite her mistakes while accompanying their musical numbers, we can make others’ lives better using our own special gifts to the fullest, even while making our share of mistakes along the way.

Kathy Christensen