Music of the Heart

     Last night I attended and performed at a flute concert. When I was getting ready, I didn't want to go. I considered skipping it altogether. I was tired, stressed, and pessimistic. Previously, I had not practiced the music well and I felt that I would not perform well. But I did it anyway. 

     After the concert, I felt none of those things. I was still tired, exhausted after two hours of playing, but it didn't seem so bad anymore. The music kept running through my head and I felt like dancing. Simply the act of playing music had made my day better. 

     I think music and thankfulness are quite alike in many ways. Both take deliberate practice to learn, and both get easier as you practice. Also, there is no end to the knowledge you can gain by practicing both actions. But as I see it, the most important similarity is this: both thankfulness and music, either playing or listening, change hearts. Every day music touches and changes the hearts of people everywhere. Thankfulness does not do it quite so obviously, but the change is still there. It pulls emotions from people they didn't know they had. Like music, thankfulness defines people. 

     Music has always been a part of my life, and I believe it always will. It is constantly teaching me things words cannot quite express. I can already  efficiently play music on my flute, now I must learn to master the music of my heart.