"Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming"

(Another post I recently wrote for Patches of Heaven)

Just a short post today. More of a 'thought' really. But I've been thinking about the Cowboy Song lately.

The Cowboy song was one of the pieces I played for my preliminary grade piano exam. I can't remember how old I was - maybe 8 or 9? somewhere in there. But the Cowboy Song was THE hardest piano piece in the entire universe (not just on the planet earth).

I had a bit of a flair for drama as a child (something I've since grown out of, obviously), but in my mind I can still remember the absolute tragedy, anguish and 'Susan Hayward' of it all. Tears. Arms flung. Declarations of "never never never never". Sobbing. Mum encouraging me over and over and over...and over again.

I actually don't remember much of the 'middle' of this story. I know I eventually learnt to play the song, and went on to get a good grade on my piano exam. But I do remember years later coming across the Cowboy Song in my old piano books, and setting it up on the piano to see if it was as horrible as I remembered. And then, I couldn't stop laughing. The piece barely even needed 2 hands - It was pretty much played with the right hand, and with the occasional 2-3 notes joining in one the left hand. Pretty much your definition of the easiest piano piece in the entire universe (not just on the planet earth).

When the twins moved to Japan for their missions just over a year ago they were (naturally) struggling with the Japanese language. I remember writing to them when they'd only just gotten out there and that they just needed to keep plodding away: "As impossible as it seems now, one day, in the not too distant future, you'll suddenly realize that you're speaking Japanese fluently". And recently, I was delighted to point out that they did in fact seem to be speaking Japanese pretty fluently now :)

So it's helpful to remember sometimes, when we find ourselves at the bottom of a mountain, that if we just take that one step at a time, then one day we really will find ourselves at the top. In fact, sometimes it's not until we're completely on the other side of the mountain that we realize just how far we've come.

So I guess I'll just keep going with all this diet and exercise. Even if it seems a bit like the hardest thing in the entire universe (and not just the planet earth). 

xo Tammy