When I was younger, maybe seven or eight years old, there was a certain stoplight that I always prayed dad would catch red. Sometimes I even prayed out loud. I remember. I think the intersection was the one at Bloomingdale Rd and Rt 20. If not exactly there it is the intersection where Pickle Piano Company's window faced the road. I would pray it would be caught red so I'd get stuck in front of the window where the perfect piano sat.
For a time, there was nothing quite like a glimpse of that beautiful piano. Oh - how I longed for it! It was unlike anything I'd ever seen. I knew, even as a little girl that wanting something so badly was sinful. I didn't care. Every time we'd drive by I'd still pray that I could just look at it while the light was red. Sometimes I had to just glance quick as we went through the green light. But on a few glorious occasions my prayers would be answered and I got to sit and enjoy my blue baby grand piano through a couple panes of glass. It always sat waiting there behind the window of the car and the one of Pickle, begging me to pray for a red light.
One day, engaged in my typical routine of praying as we neared the intersection, my heart stopped just as dad did at the light. My piano was gone! Someone bought it! I cried.
The next time I went for my piano lesson I about fell over to find my piano - the very one from the window of Pickle Piano Company - sitting in the living room of my teacher's home. Jealous for a moment I realized I was a child and it would be years before I could afford such a piano. I resolved to rejoice with the idea that I got to play it every week for a half hour. I fell in love with the baby grand and all it's blueness. It's so unique and perfect. But I have always secretly...and not so secretly...for Laurie's known it all these years (that first day when I walked into her house and saw it, I'm pretty sure I cried again)...wanted my piano.
Laurie is one of my best friends. She is the greatest piano teacher I know. And one of the most amazing women I've ever met. She loves her family and gives everything else she has to her students. She's retiring this year and moving away. I am sad that she won't live close. I have been sad that I won't be able to go play my piano whenever I want. But not so sad. I have gotten used to my piano belonging to my teacher and friend.
Today I got an email from from Laurie telling me that she's selling her piano. Er, uh, my piano. I have no idea how this will work, but I know I have always wanted my piano. Maybe Laurie just had to use it for a while.
Back in college, in 2004 when blogging was hardly even a thing yet, I was here. Blogging before blogging meant anything to anyone. You can look in the archives for my past writings, but it was much more like a journal in the past. When we started fundraising, I messed around with the idea of launching something new for this new phase of our journey but actually hated that idea. I am a sum of all of my life and so much of it is here already. So I'm keeping it here. At least for now.
My main focus these days is blogging about our newest journey into the bizarre and wonderful world of gestational surrogacy. Posts dated 2013 and forward will trend heavily toward that journey. I don't promise everything I write will be about though. There might be other things that sneak in occasionally.
Please come along our journey with us. As the saying goes, "The more, the merrier!"
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