WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO!!!

This is a true story and it will give you the chills.

 This is a beautiful and touching story of love and perseverance. Well

worth the read.

At the prodding of my friends I am writing this story. My name is Mildred

Honor and I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines ,

Iowa . I have always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons -

something I have done for over 30 years.

During those years I found that children have many levels of musical

ability,and even though I have never had the pleasure of having a prodigy, I

have taught some very talented students. However, I have also had my share

of what I call 'musically challenged' pupils - one such pupil being Robby..

Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for

his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys) begin at an

earlier age, which I  explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always

been his mother's  dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him as a

student.

Well, Robby began his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it

was a hopeless endeavour. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of

tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales

and some elementary piano pieces that I require all mystudents to learn. 

Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to

encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he would always say 'My

mom's going to hear me play someday'. But to me, it seemed hopeless, he just

did not have any inborn  ability.

I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited

in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled, but never

dropped in.

Then one day Robby stopped coming for his lessons.. I thought about

calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of ability he had decided

to pursue something else. I was also glad that he had stopped coming - he

was a bad avertisement for my teaching!

Several weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the students' homes.To my

surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the

recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and that because

he had dropped out, he really did not qualify. He told me that his mother

had been sick and unable to take him to his piano lessons, but that he had

been practicing. 'Please Miss Honor, I've just got to play' he insisted. I

don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital - perhaps it was

his insistence or maybe something inside of me saying that it would be all

right.

The night of the recital came and the high school  gymnasium was packed

with parents, relatives and friends. I put Robby last in the program, just

before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing

piece. I thought that any damage he might do would come at the end of the

program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my 'curtain

closer'.

Well, the recital went off without a hitch, the students had been

practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on the stage. His clothes were

wrinkled and his hair looked as though he had run an egg beater through it.

'Why wasn't he dressed up like the other students?'  I thought. 'Why didn't

his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?' Robby

pulled out the piano bench, and I was surprised when he announced that he

had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto No. 21 in C Major. I was not prepared

for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced

nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo, from allegro

to virtuoso; his suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent!

Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age.

After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo, and everyone

was on their feet in wild applause! Overcome and in tears, I ran up on stage

and put my arms around Robby in joy. 'I have never heard you play like that

Robby, how did you do it?' Through the microphone Robby explained: 'Well,

Miss Honor .... remember I told you  that my mom was sick? Well, she

actually had cancer and passed away this morning. And well ..... she was 

born deaf, so tonight was the first time she had ever heard me play, and I

wanted to make it special.'

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from

Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed in to foster care, I

noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy. I thought to myself then

how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil. No, I have

never had a prodigy, but that night I became a prodigy ...... of Robby. He

was the teacher and I was the pupil, for he had taught me the meaning of

perseverance and love and believing in yourself, and may be even taking a

chance on someone and you didn't know why.

Robby was killed years later in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P.

Murrow Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April,  1995.

And now, a footnote to the story. If you are thinking about forwarding

this message, you are probably wondering which people on your address list

aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. The person

who sent  this to you believes that we can all make a difference! So many

seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice

-Do we act with compassion or do we pass up that opportunity and leave the

world a bit colder in the process?

You now have two choices:1. Delete this; OR 2. Forward it to the people

you care about.You know the choice I made. Thank you for reading this. May
God Bless you today, tomorrow and always. If God  didn't have a purpose for 
us, we wouldn't be here!

USA, IN GOD WE TRUST!

The process of Success is Just within your grasp don't left life just give you a screensaver!!!

We Love you our friends and friends to come...

Have a Blessed Day,

If we can help just let us know.

Danny & Laura

http://freemlmservice.blogspot.com/