Pipes and Pies

Old sayings have stuck around because they are often true. “The time for pie is when it’s passing” is about more than grabbing the last piece of pecan pie during the Christmas feast. It’s about taking advantage of my present circumstances.

When one of my friends got a harp during my middle school years, I wanted to play one as well. I continued taking piano and put that wish on the back burner until my adult years. After years of watching two of my daughters learn to play the concert grand harp, I was blessed to get a folk harp.

My bucket list also included playing the bagpipes. The sound of the pipes hits me in a deep part of my psyche. Weird, I know. I began lessons thinking that because of my music background that it would be something I could pick up as easily as I did the harp.

Didn’t happen!

Though my teacher, Jaime, was patient and a really good teacher, I missed the opportunity to learn the difficult techniques involved as we moved shortly after I started lessons. The teacher I found in Texas gave the strong impression that only men should play pipes – bless his heart. When we soon moved to the middle of nowhere Georgia, going to the closest teacher would mean I had to drive to or through Atlanta. That was definitely not happening! Old age has destroyed my driving ability or at least my confidence in that area.

Therefore, the lovely shuttle pipes and squeaky chanter have languished in my closet for the last 15 years. My ‘bagpipe dream’ pie passed into a reality check. I desired something that was not to be. The time frame for achieving the goal expired. The time for piping was when it was passing. Sadly, it passed right by me.

As part of my Swedish Death Purge, I am letting go of many things – including unrealistic expectations for myself. Shoot! I’m about to give up on losing weight! But that’s a whole nother story!

Anyway, letting go of things that can’t be changed is hard, but freeing.

 No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us. Philippians 3:12-14 TLB

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven … A time for keeping, a time for throwing away. Ecclesiastes 3:6

Blessings

KB