Tidbit: Joy

It's amazing how ordinary things can be so inspirational and so uplifting.

This blog is aware that my French teacher died last year (see here). On the day that we found out, I happened to have choir practise that afternoon. I went with my best friend even though we were both pretty emotionally stripped. When we showed up, I told the choir leader what had happened---my friend burst into tears after hearing me just start the sentence.
That practise was very sombre. Whereas they are usually filled with laughing and teasing and the general weirdness that befits us, at this one we barely even smiled. We were distinctly just going through the emotions without feeling or meaning a single word that we sang.
The last song we did was called "Days of Elijah". I'm sure you can youtube it and find the melody, but our particular arrangement of it is very upbeat, with an infectious rhythm and a bouncy piano part. We debated whether or not we should actually sing it.
Eventually I sat at the keys and stared at the page for a few seconds then started to hit the notes, feeling mostly unemotional. But as I began to play through it and the singers joined in, my voice mingling with their's, I felt my fingers begin to become more lively.
About halfway through the song I looked up at my friend, who was looking back at me. I had a small smile from the pure enjoyment I was getting from playing that piano part, and she saw my smile and got a small one of her own. Her small smile made mine grow, which made hers grow, and so on until I chuckled and she got lost and we both started laughing as we entered into the chorus of the song. After the practise we still had those smiles on our faces and our spirits were considerably lifted. That one song, with its fun beats and inspiring lyrics, managed to make our whole day better.
I thought of this at my choir practise yesterday, a different one without that friend. We sang Days of Elijah, and as I sat down at the keys I got a small, sad smile thinking of that French teacher, then a warmer smile as I remembered what a wonderful effect that song has.
I just thought I should share.

~Godspede