hard work

This weekend Iris performed with some of her fellow violinists at a little event the Kickapoo Reserve put on.  There were 3 student groups that did short performances before the (paid) entertainment came on.  She eagerly (though distractedly) watched the first two groups, excited for her chance to play. 

This girl has pushed boundaries (ours, but mostly her own) in working at this instrument.  It's hard.  Practice isn't always fun, neither is lesson or group class. There have been moments of angst (hers and mine) where I've virtually tried to convince her to take a break from lessons, from practice.  But she'll have none of that.  She adores her teacher, and also, I think she likes tackling this, getting somewhere, and slowly gaining mastery.  It's not a piece of cake for her.  She usually doesn't practice one minute longer than she has to.  Sometimes there are tears.

But then she plays, and her body moves with the rhythm of that most beautiful instrument, to the harmony of the other strings, and I think she knows. 

Tonight at dinner she said "I couldn't live without art".  We were talking about drawing (which she also very much loves) but my heart lifted to know that she's got a place to find joy, to find solace, to find herself.