Pay it Forward

Here it goes...the piano story.

It starts 22 years ago, when Matt was 8, and had just moved to Westerville from his home in Boardman (near Youngstown).  Matt had shown interest in music, and his parents signed him up for piano lessons, even though they did not have a piano in their new home.  The next door neighbors opened their door to Matt, and welcomed him to come and practice on their piano.  But it wasn't just any piano.  It was a beautiful, black, baby grand.  While they searched for a piano of their own, this young boy, likely not even aware of the beauty before him, played this beautiful instrument between his lessons.

Fast forward to 2013.  These wonderful people, still close to the Rahde family, but no longer in the immediate neighborhood, are being transferred across the country.  A work-related move.  Likely temporary - they will return to the Westerville area once more in a few years.  Wonderful people, always asking about Matt, his young, growing family, and always so supportive.

Then we get the call.

This amazing family is putting many things in storage, anticipating a move back to Ohio in the future.  When it came to this gorgeous piano, however, they had another idea in mind.

Us.

They called, and said it would do their hearts good to know that this piano was in a home with children again.  It would make them so happy to know that it was back with Matt, who had used it to practice for his first lessons.  They would be overjoyed to see Kate and our new baby learn to love music as much as they know I do.  They wanted to gift us this piano.

Some of you have been in our home.  I love our home and it's become our own in the past 6+ years.  While it's not tiny, it's certainly not big by any means.  So while there was no way I would ever say no to this amazing gift, it sent us into a panic.  Once their house sold in Westerville, the piano needed to be moved, ideally to our home. [Matt's mom had offered to store it for us while we prepared, but the idea of this beauty in a garage???  NO WAY!]

Thus the rush to get our home ready.  Thus an additional pressure (in addition to Kate's tantrums) to get Kate into her new room.  We're not only making room for "Baby Suzy" in March, we needed to make room for "Baby Grand" - and soon.

Today, she moved in.  She's horribly out of tune (tuning already scheduled!), and likely too crowded in our small home to do her justice, but she's there.  She's in her new home, and I couldn't be more thrilled.


Here's the best part.  (I know, how can there be more???)

Well, of course, we already had a piano in our home.  Another loving neighbor in Westerville had sold us our piano a few years ago for a very good price, and it is in great shape.  We had it tuned, we had it decorated, and I had the opportunity to start teaching lessons on it before Kate made her appearance.  Kate and I have played on it together, sang on it together, and I have struggled through pieces "for fun" on it in times of stress, just to touch my musical roots again.  Where would this piano go?  Should we sell it and try to pay off some debt?  Would that really be the right thing to do?

We decided to pay it forward.  The family who I had given lessons to, 3 years ago, were still taking their girls to learn piano, and having them come home to practice on a keyboard.  Those girls are growing, and learning to really love music.  Our gift became their gift as well.

Today, two homes are graced with music more than they were yesterday.  Today, families will start a fresh love for instruments new to their homes.

And, right in time, my heart sings.