The Pope and the Piano

Pope Benedict grows on me as a person more and more each week. Finding out he was a cat-lover really endeared him to me. I have always had a cat or cats as a pet. (I have a nice doggy too but cats are just so…independent!)

Then this week, I read over on the Rose Blog, that there was some trouble getting the Pope’s piano in to his new digs!

Now, I don’t play the piano, but my mother plays beautifully. Even after her brain tumor operation 7 years ago, she still plays better than anyone else I know, although she complains that her little finger on one hand won’t obey her! Mom was encouraged once by a teacher to pursue the concert stage, but she wanted to marry and have a family instead, so she opted to teach piano and choir instead.

When my mother was a young woman, my grandparents had the opportunity to purchas a grand piano for her. I forget the correct name for this piano size, but it is not as large as a concert grand, but almost. It’s the next step down. This thing is huge. As a child growing up I remember it took up half of our living room, and it was sort of fun to dust because it was so big and it was fun to spray the Pledge all over it. When my mother decided to move out of my grandfather’s home in the 1980s, she took her piano with her to her new condo and I remember my grandfather’s living room looked darn near empty without it. And of course the piano looked smushed in the condo. But it went in with no problems.

Then my mom moved across the United States to the Southwest and the Rocky Mountains. Once more she moved that piano- this time across the country. And once more her new home accommodated the piano. 6 years later when my mother had to move to Ohio because of her health, the piano came too and has been no worse for wear.

The piano has narrowed some options for my mom. There was a lovely Catholic home for retired folks within walking distance of the library and stores, run by the nuns with daily mass and activities etc. But my mom wouldn’t even consider it because the rooms would not accomodate her piano. There was a piano available for playing however. So she is in a nice apartment, with her piano for now.

Someday, I know that piano will become a problem for me and my sister. We will be the ones responsible for moving it or selling it and that’s something I’m not particularly looking forward to. But as my mom has moved hers so many times, perhaps the Vatican movers should give her a call for some advice!

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