I was pleasantly surprised (trans. happy) when I launched my Chrome browser today and I saw this doodle.
Ludwig van Beethoven is one of my favorite composers. Although, I grew up listening to Mozart most of the time because my father would listen to him every time he would be doing his plates, Beethoven has always been my choice of music when I wanted to just chill.
In fact, when I was a student of piano, I got to play "Fur Elise," and had as my recital piece the "Moonlight Sonata."
Indulge me while I go down memory lane looking at these photos.
There! Excuse my bangs, ok? Ha ha!
Don't I look so serious in those photos? Well, there's a story behind it.
I didn't really enjoy going to my piano lessons. My parents had to drag me to the classes, and the Ms. Obedient in me would oblige every time. But I remember I felt terrible the whole time. I don't know why! Grrr! I should be happy, my parents sent me to music school, right? Oh well, I finished till Grade 3 of piano lessons, what do you say?
Which brings me back to an article I read somewhere about parenting. At one point in a child's growing years, parents really have to force them to do something. It presupposes, of course, that this something is for the child's own good, like taking up a hobby, or learning a new skill. A child cannot always have his way.
Had my parents not been firm about me taking piano lessons, I would have regretted not knowing how to play the piano or even just read musical notes. I learned to play the guitar on my own.
I'm guilty about not doing that part about forcing children to take on a hobby, though, especially learning to play a musical instrument.
No matter how hard I cajole, convince Gabo and Rago to study piano or guitar. They refuse. But when I told them to enroll in basketball camp and swimming clinics, they happily obliged, though it was only Gabo who finished the lessons.
Rago, the younger one, always resists. Both he and Gabo enrolled in swimming, but he didn't listen to the teacher, still he learned how to swim a little. We observe him to be fond of singing and doing art work. We encourage him to take up art and voice lessons, but he won't.
I guess children are different these days. Or are they?
I just observe that we parents need to make alalay (loose translation: gentle guiding) lang, and push the buttons on a case to case basis. It's like you're playing tug of war or holding the reins of a horse carriage. You pull, tighten, and loosen the rope/reins on the right situations. If you push too hard, they resist. If you loosen up, they let loose also.
What my husband and I do is try to strike a balance. Show them what is good or better and what is not. We encourage talking, sharing, and openness at home. Although, I still feel, I should have pushed them harder before during their younger years. But then, that was also the time that I was busy building a corporate career, which I would eventually give up (naman pala). Sigh.
I am still happy that despite what we call our brand of gentle parenting, I hear that my kids feel the pressure of doing good in school or anything that they decide to do. A co-mom once shared with me, how Gabo was telling her that if I had my way, I would want him to excel in academics and basketball. "Which is tall order," Gabo would tell us.
Well, I am careful in pushing their limits. Because what I don't want to happen is for them to feel that no matter what they do, it's never good enough for us.
For now, I am glad that already at this time they have big dreams, and that they are pretty sure about it. They already know what they wanted to happen to them in the future. And my husband and I are happy that we are part of their plans, even way into their married lives. Oh yeah? Ha ha!
So from "Fur Elise" to "Moonlight Sonata," our life happens. Our children's lives are underway.
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