"Once upon a time..."

(This is a story I'm working on, its not finished, but I thought I'd throw it out there :) enjoy!)


It was cold today, and my layers of shirts, a sweater, a jacket and a scarf were evidence to that. Despite the cool breeze I could feel penetrating my jeans, all I could think about was when I would get to see and talk to him.
Three days earlier we had talked on the phone, and he made mention to wanting to catch up on where each of our lives had ventured to since the last time we had talked, and I was more than looking forward to when that time would roll around. My heart raced when he mentioned this weekend.
I let my mind wander the possibilities of what this small encounter could entail! Maybe coffee? Or lunch? Oh, both sounded very nice! (For more reasons than food or a warm beverage.)
While my mind wandered I heard him mention church this weekend that he and several of my other friends would be attending. We would find some alone time in there to catch up.
I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was a little disappointed in the location that he chose, but nonetheless, he would be there. And he was looking forward to seeing me.
Fast forward three days, and we are back to the many layers of clothing attempting to protect me from the brutality of the freezing cold breeze whipping around my group of friends in the auditorium at church. I was in a slight rush since I was trying to escape the throngs of people all around in order to get back to my paying job upstairs.
I lollygagged to give him a chance to find me in the crowd. I did not think that it was working, and then I felt two arms wrap around my shoulders and give me a squeeze. When I turned my head I expected to see one of my girlfriends who I hadn’t yet talked to. So I’m sure that you can imagine my shock when I turned and saw his face.
My face didn’t really have time to cooperate with what was heart started to feel, and that is probably a good thing. When I looked into his eyes I felt giant butterflies well up inside of my stomach. I knew I had to play it cool or he would think I was a weirdo. His, more than obvious, sign of affection was not typical for his personality. He was, and still is, a high-five, awkward-side-hug-giving friend. Not a sneak-up-behind-you and give-you-a-warm-embrace kind of guy.
My mind began to swirl with questions. Did that really just happen? Does he like me? Is he just in a really good mood? What was he thinking when he did that?
And while the questions continued to fill my mind, I thought to myself, “Whatever it was, whatever it may mean to him, I know that in the aspect of friendship, he enjoys me, and maybe one day I will mean more to him than that.

Baby Steps.

I'm really excited! I took my first piano lesson EVER on Monday, January 19 2009. I'm 20.5 years old and am just now taking baby steps to do something I love, or should I say, long to love. 

One of my loves in life is to use my hands. I used my hands to take photos, I use them to write and type and love and be loved. And now I get to use them to make beautiful music. While I would more than love the 1 in 1,000,000 chance that I could be a prodigy and just sit down at the piano keys and just know how to play, and not just know, but feel, and be able to to play a beautiful lullaby, or sit down and write a symphony detailing the story of two lovers, I can tell you now that that didn't happen. 

I've sat down and "tickled the ivories" for years, but it was more like poking. There was no beautiful melody leaking from my hands onto the keys, it was plinking out a tuneless melody, and that is the only thing it would ever be, until I took the initiative to learn it properly. 

My head always said, "You're too old to start taking piano lessons now, why bother?" and for a while I let myself believe that, all the while plinking a melody that made no sense. I thought about it and prayed about it and heard the Lord say, "Baby Steps." In an instance I knew He was right. (isn't He always). Baby steps, one foot in front of the other, one lesson at a time, one week at a time, and countless hours of practice, but a baby doesn't always stay a baby, with time, they grow. And baby steps become toddlers steps, that become kid steps, that become preteen steps, that become teenage steps, that become adult steps. 

No matter what you do, you almost always start with baby steps. I'm looking forward to the journey, the music, and the love that I know these steps will bring me. 

peace to you

jillian

Hi

Hi, and welcome to my blog! I'm new to the world of blogging, but I look forward to sharing some photos and prose with you, as well as some updates of day to day frenzy's that go on!! Until next time!