Beautiful music

The other night (lame as we are) my hubby Scott and I were listening to some beautiful stringed music on PBS. Scott made a comment that struck a chord deep within me. He said, "An instrument in the hands of the right person can be a beautiful thing, but put it in the wrong hands and watch out!".

Wow did that statement make me think. Now he said it with no deep meaning behind it, but it made me instantly apply it to so many areas of my life. First of all, it made me think of my children. They are truly like instruments given to us. If we do the right things with them they too can "play beautiful music". But in the wrong hands kids have a hard time playing the right notes. When we are given our children they are a perfect, unblemished instrument. We immediately begin to "practice" out of sheer force and fear. There are plenty of off notes at first, but then we seem to hit our stride as parents. Like even the best musicians we play off key at times, but all and all we do pretty well because we have put the needed time and effort in to it.

Then, just as we have begun to master one instrument, we are often handed another. And usually not an instrument similar to what we have already played, but one that may be more difficult or need to be played in a much different way. Occasionally, we get an instrument that is easier than the one we learned to play at first and we count our blessings!!

I believe that it's our job as parents to make sure we "practice" everyday and not to slack off. Like Scott said, "an instrument in the right hands can make beautiful music". I believe anyone's hands can be the right hands. Like I've said before it's all a matter of choice. So, we have to put time and effort into our kids, even when it's tough.

I wish I could say that kids are an instrument that we as parents could master, but it seems just when we start to get good we are handed harder music! I do know one thing- though parenting kids can have plenty of off notes, the beautiful symphony we get most of the time makes it all worth it!!