Is it just me or does it seem that everywhere you look these days there are mixed messages coming from almost every direction? Do this, don’t do that, say this, don’t say that, be that person, be this person… It’s exhausting and at times horribly overwhelming! I find myself having to work very hard to maintain a sense of equilibrium. Perhaps this is normal for any parent with two young children trying to balance running a new nonprofit with the chaos of living with three boys, not to mention maintaining my ability to play the violin!
Some days can feel relatively normal, like the good old days: I watch my children running around the garden enjoying the great outdoors, and I am busy from dawn until dusk, charging around like a headless chicken! While other days, I am constantly reminded about terrible things happening in the world that feel so awful I want to curl up and weep with sorrow. There doesn’t seem to be much in between right now. It’s either the depths of despair or absolute euphoria! Life can feel pretty full-on at times and I for one will hold up my hand and accept that I really can’t have it all!
However, I do trust that things can and will get better. I saw a sign recently that read ‘Start Fresh Everyday!’ and while we can always look back and learn from yesterday’s mistakes, I love this idea that when you wake each morning morning, you are given another chance to do better. Somehow, whatever happened yesterday or last week doesn’t matter as much as what happens today, here and now.
Music constantly has a way of keeping me humble, the notes will not learn themselves and how I approach them today makes a huge difference on how they sound tomorrow. Treating each note and every phrase with careful thought improves my understanding of the bigger picture. When concerts or even rehearsals go badly, it’s a challenge to keep up my motivation. Sometimes, life intrudes on my concentration, we all get exhausted, distracted and discouraged and yet somehow, it is always possible to continue making progress.
Everywhere I look, I see how firmly fixed in our own ideas we have all become, but it is important to acknowledge that none of us know what the future holds. I do not know how my life will pan out, how my children will cope in this digital age, if what I am doing really will make this world a slightly better place. My dear old Dad who died exactly 19 years ago always said, ’Nothing happens unless you make it happen!’ Well, here goes. I’m starting fresh and I’m making small changes today that will hopefully have an impact on tomorrow. I am going to do my best for the people that I love and for my community. I hope to reach new ears with my music, especially children’s ears. I want to share a simple message with them, that if you make mistakes and fail, you can ALWAYS start fresh, everyday!