When life gets you down, play your guitar

Last night was great. After we got back from celebrating Aaron's birthday (it was a lot of fun and the cake was delicious), Jill went into her room and worked on homework while I sat on the couch and finished reading Marley & Me. (I was close to the end.) Mara was noticeably absent (she went over to talk tennis with Joseph, Zach and J.D.).

I had just finished my book and was just going to get a start on my creative writing homework when Jill came in, bleary-eyed and needing a break from her obviously evil French homework. I talked to her for awhile; mostly listened while she expressed many of the same feelings about French I felt while taking Trig. It all came back to me- the feeling of working my tail off for little visible gain, the stress and worry about upcoming tests, the choking frustration and the dampened self-esteem as I struggled to keep my head above water. Sometimes I think the add/drop deadline comes and goes too early in the semester to be of much use.

After the much-needed (I think) rant, Jill got out her guitar. I watched the stress leave her face as she strummed the much-loved instrument. Soon she had us both singing as she figured out guitar parts that sounded good. I love listening to her play. One of these days, I need to get a picture of her with her guitar. She has a great voice, too. Sometime I'd also like to hear her and Mikayla jam together with their guitars; maybe we can plan something for this weekend.

We spent the better part of an hour with the guitar. It was amazing, but I hope she didn't have to stay up too much past midnight to finish her American Heritage homework. Thank you, Jill!