What is it that is priceless about this one, precious life?
Finish the Sentence Friday:
and with guest sentence-thinker-upper
What is priceless about my violin, about Halloween 2017, and about writing?
My violin rental was my birthday present when I turned thirty-two. I chose to buy it for myself, once I learned how much I loved the challenge and wanted to keep going with it. I found a young woman who had been playing for nearly twenty years, who was a student and could use the twenty dollars a week. I admit, I get a pretty good deal there. She gets to teach me. Feel bad for her sometimes on that. I learn, but it sometimes ends up taking me a few tries, at least.
Buying a violin…hundreds of dollars. A violin lesson…$20.
The feeling of peace while I concentrate and play, the sensation of accomplished determination of practicing, and the sweet and beautiful sound of such an instrument…
PRICELESS.
Halloween this year was full of pizza and plenty of treats. The weather could have been a lot worse. It was cold, but at least there was no rain or snow. My nephew came into my house and immediately removed his socks, as he likes to do. It took plenty of gentle reminders, which turned into nagging reminders that if he wanted to go trick-or-treating, he needed to put them back on his feet.
Candy costs money. Costume making costs his mother hours of time and attention.
Hearing my five-year-old nephew counting his candy, showing up he can count all the way to one hundred (even though he may have counted some pieces of that candy more than once), and the pure innocence and recently discovered joy of the holiday in his voice…
PRICELESS.
Writing is, for me, like breathing. It’s getting to share here, to speak out on the things that matter to me, and all this is, of course, priceless.
All the courses with their enrolment fees, the expensive technological equipment I need to replace the hand/eye connection I no longer have, and the newly sought after paid work I have found and fear I will find no more of.
Writing, as breathing…
(as I’ve said)
PRICELESS.
Her Headache 
the thing (about musical instruments (and learning to play)(them)))* is that it changes the world. music is a feature of the world at large, of course. but, like rain and night, it is not something we are able to co-create, to get directly involved in.
learning to play an instrument connects us to the forces behind the world of streets and cars, work and houses and such. kinda elemental, ya know?
*lol given how Im remembering how long I’ve been coming to this ‘hop, your comment at the Doctrine helped me recall, I thought I bring out the parenthesiseses…. I used to love them parenthesises.
Extremely elemental. Yes. Thanks Clark. Good to speak to you here once instead.
We all should be happy for all the little ,every day joys we experience because we are all truly blessed. Thank you for sharing !!
Nancy Ropp
Yes, Nancy. Thanks for visiting and reading my words.
I’m so glad you linked up with these priceless moments. The feeling you get from playing the violin is priceless to me, especially now. My son’s been wanting to take either keyboard lessons, drum lessons, or another (he has a hard time deciding and as much as I’d like to say “ALL OF THEM,” I’m also like “expensive so let’s try one at a time.” Maybe I mentioned this here before (I think I have, but it’s still relevant). Anyway, the way you describe music lessons and playing and the cost and priceless moments reminds me how important it is to let my son learn what he loves playing, if anything… if that makes sense.
On Halloween and writing? YES, both are so priceless here, too, even though they both cost me things. Time, money, grief, emotions, time… stuff, anyway, but yes, priceless. Great post. Thanks for linking up!
Thanks lp
It would be so great if he were to learn how to play an instrument. For me, there was no choice other than violin, but it is a big decision for some. Whichever he chooses, it will teach him many lessons.
I thought often about the “costs” involved in each of my priceless moments, too. But what is priceless is above the price, right? You proved that well here – especially with writing. Writing is breathing…yes.
Life is full of costs, financial and other, but the priceless shows itself in the end.