A Super Suzuki Day

On Sunday hubby and I were invited to Guelph to see our niece's two children play in the Suzuki Christmas event at River Run Centre. Anxious to spend time with our niece's family (my brother Ross' daughter), we approached the concert as a cute preliminary and looked forward to starting our yearly Christmas celebration of concert events.

Upon arrival at the centre we quickly spotted Hugo who directed us to the seats the older two children were saving. We have not seen enough of these children to have them know us well, so this was a 'getting acquainted' visit for the first while. The two older ones, M. and I., showed us to our seats and we settled down to wait for the start while they jumped up and down, giggled and laughed happily, and just seemed to enjoy everything that was happening. Their father and mother came and sat near us and the concert began.

Various teachers of Suzuki trooped their various-sized charges on stage in a very orderly and disciplined fashion. The teachers played with their students and I was struck by the clarity of tone as the violins and cellos matched their teacher's tone. Suzuki is an interesting method of learning, to be sure. From older students who were quite comfortable performing for many audiences (as they told us), to the wee tiniest tykes with fake violin bows doing a rhythmic drill, the concert was well done. The children all knew their places and joyfully joined in at their times. Finally everyone was on stage, all one hundred and eighty of them, and they played Silent Night, a moving feast for ear and eye.

From the stage the children trooped to the large foyer where millions of cookies and plates of fresh fruit awaited and there most of them stopped, making it hard to get near the table to get a bite. We were not unhappy, though, as our waistlines don't need the sugar, but our willpower is often more like won't power! This way we weren't tempted to try for another bite.

Afterwards we went to our niece's lovely little corner house and had a wonderful time with the four children, all of whom took turns telling us little things and inviting us into their lives. E. hanging from the exercise bar in the doorway, couldn't believe that I was his great aunt, saying, "That can't be right!" as I explained how his grandfather and I were brother and sister just like him and his sisters. G. sat on my knee as we chatted after supper and I delighted in holding a little one--she is five. I. is sure of her own way in this world and watching her smile was delightful. She asked me to make her some earrings once she gets her ears pierced and I took that as an affirmation of my own self-made ones. But my biggest surprise came on leaving, when M. whispered to me that she had put something in my purse for me to open on the way home.

As we drove down the 401 we had lots to think about. Hubby fondly remembered E. taking him to see his bedroom where he sleeps on the top bunk. Up he climbed and asked hubby to climb up, too, which he did all the while hoping that the bed would hold him. I told hubby of the older two girls playing a duet on the piano and we marveled at how happy and unselfconscious these children are. Then we remembered the gift in my purse and I rumaged around to find a lovely little handmade card from M. She was thanking me for the necklaces which I had made for each of them, but her 'voice' was so joyful and true that the card was a treasure. That she had done this on her own made it all the more special. Thank you, M.

This was a joyful Sunday afternoon and evening for both of us. We look forward to our extended family Christmas where we will know these children much better and they will know us. Would that every Sunday could be filled with such family fun.