Duet

Psalm 133:1
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!

My children's piano teacher is a good friend of mine and each week graciously overlooks the fact that my children are not in love with playing the piano. They take lessons because they must. They practice because they must. They improve with age and practice, but Mozarts and Beethovens they are not yet. Still, they are learning to play beautiful music.

But, lately, the piano notes are not the music I am impressed by as much as by who is playing and how. Recently, Miss Jen assigned a duet: "A Waltz for Four Hands." Watching my children work together as a team and learning to play in sync has been the real joy. The first child will do all their other piano assignments first, then call the other to join for the duet. They come immediately when the other calls. Our keyboard corner is too small for them both to sit, so they stand side by side without complaining about it. Holly counts the beats (1, 2, 3, 4...1, 2, 3, 4) and they try to play together with the proper rhythm. It isn't easy. But, they have treated each other so kindly and patiently. There have been no nudges of recrimination for mistakes. There has been no laughter at one another's expense.

This is not the first job they have tackled together. They learned early to work out systems in work and play. Holly (my first born who believes in fairness) generally orchestrates but Elijah (second born/baby tough guy) is not without input. When we go to the library, one pulls the cart of books around, the other checks the books out. When we bring them home, Elijah unloads the books from the car to the living room; Holly organizes them on the shelf. When the groceries arrive, he lugs them to the pantry and she organizes them on that shelf (yes, a pattern emerges, but it satisfies them both).

I am blessed to see my children cooperate, share, and be kind to one another. It encourages me to think that they will be able to rely on one another into adulthood.