Does it count as a New Year's resolution if you don't start thinking seriously about it until January 25th? I don't know, but I do know this is the year of the guitar for me. It started with the goal to teach myself to play before I was 30, then 35.... but there it sat, year after year gathering dust. The missionaries have played it more than we have in the last year and a half.
So, four days ago, I worked a jam session into my morning routine. Sadie and I came home from the gym, she changed back into her Frozen pajamas, as usual, but before I could do my usual morning routine, she asked for music. Instead of turning on iTunes, I glanced at the guitar and thought, "why not?". I mastered the "C" and "G" chords years ago and my "D7" isn't too shabby. You'd be surprised how many songs you can play with those three. But Sadie wanted "Child God" or I am a Child of God from the LDS Children's Songbook, so I dug it out.
There it was, the dreaded "F" chord along with "D", "A7", and "G7". I actually ripped the guitar chord chart out of the back of the book and slowly but surely we made it through one verse. She loved it. Needless to say I no longer fear the "F" as much as I did before. With some help from You Tube and this last week of daily practice I feel confident enough with my chord progressions. I'm still super slow, but at least all the notes are there.
(p.s. It's really hard to take a picture of yourself playing the guitar)
I'll leave you with some of my favorite words from Ralf Waldo Emerson,
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to achieve. Not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased."
May you experience increased "power to do" with your resolutions this year, whatever they may be.
I am equally as impressed by the pictures of yourself playing an instrument as I am by your dedication to learn an instrument this year. What a great activity for you and Sadie to do together. You'll be a great mother/daughter performing duo down the road.
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