That's What Christmas Is All About

My friend Tara asked me a few weeks ago if I would do a favor for her. This "favor" involved my (so called) violin skills, and since I started playing again just this year, I was hesitant.

I was told that her neighbor had a horrible disease which caused her bones to be so brittle that just by moving at all she would break them. Her ribs, her back, her legs - so there she layed, on her back, all day every day. Of couse, I wanted to play for her, but I wasn't necessarily confident enough to play by myself, so I asked my violin teacher Calli to come with me.

Calli and I practiced some Christmas songs and we planned to play three or four duets for this poor girl. We had planned a few weeks in advance, so it came as a shock when Calli called to cancel just a couple of hours before we were supposed to go. I thought about cancelling also, but I thought that I'd do my best, say a prayer, and be confident in myself - hoping that I could pull it off without Calli's beautiful sound to tie it all together.

When we showed up at her grandmother's condo (where she's living), she was surprised and excited to see the violin. It just happened to be her 35th birthday too...so that worked out nicely. This girl (Amy) was a sad sight to see - A couple of IV's in her, an oxygen tank, laying on a small couch with literally everything at an arm's reach, along with a tote (and not a small tote at that) overflowing with medications. She told us her story, informing us that she had been sick since she was about nine, but only in the last three years did it start getting bad. We saw pictures of her when she was probably in her twenties; and she was nearly unrecognizable to the woman in the pictures - a beautiful, blonde beauty queen staring back. And now here she lay, demanding constant care and supervision.

She rattled off names of diseases that I can't even pronouce, and there were too many to remember. We were told that she was given choices in medication to treat her illness. In having chosen the wrong one, she has ended up this way. Despite all of this, however, she was as cheerful as could be. She was laughing, joking, and so happy to just have company that me playing a violin (no matter how bad I might have sounded) elated her. As soon as I saw her, my fear of playing went away. I just wanted to make her happy.

I am grateful for the chance I had to meet Amy. She is an inspiration to all those with illnesses like hers, and an inspiration to everyone, really. She has been dealt some hard cards - and she is dealing with them in a way that is beyond what I can even comprehend. I had the opportunity to be a part in making someone's day better. And I really think that's what Chrstmas is all about.