Memories....

I do not have many things from my childhood, but this is one thing I refuse to ever lose. It makes me smile and gives me peace, a creative outlet and memories to smile back on.

Christmas, 1998, I believe, maybe 1999......

For a long time, I had this tiny little keyboard, and my mom and I would play. She tried to teach me Beethoven's Fur Elise on it....but it lacked the highest note...so she would just throw her hand off to the side, and continue playing.

The Christmas I speak of, my mom gave me the stand this large keyboard sits on.

In pure too-smart-for-her-own-good teenage fashion, I graciously thanked her for the stand, and then said "But, Mom, I think this is too big for my keyboard."

She apologized and directed me to look either under her bed or in her closet(I cannot recall which) for one last gift.

Back then, this large keyboard from Yamaha must have been so much money, the ones today still cost hundreds of US dollars.

I know we didn't have a lot of money, but my mother always tried to get me something big, at least one thing...

We did not have the healthiest mother daughter relationship, but, as I got older, I have grown to appreciate everything my mother did for me, even though, as a teenager, I didn't always see it....

Needless to say, with this larger keyboard, I learned the beginning part of Fur Elise, complete with the high E...

Still can't wrap my fingers around the 16th notes in the second part though....LOL, not even a decade later!