On the twelfth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me, twelve drummers drumming–or…maybe you could say…twelve percussionists percussing! –or your daughter playing twelve percussion instruments, including drums!  I told you we had a lively household when our girls were growing up! They sang, played several instruments each, and danced with abandon!  Our house was always filled with music, and we were blessed with it! “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”, comes to mind! 

Today, January 6, is Epiphany! We honor today as the day the three kings found the Christ child! What a wonderful day to be full  of music! And what a day, to look back over this Christmas and its twelve days, and even  over a lifetime! Today I’m thinking about my older daughter Ali, the one who just this month had a baby, her third! We talked about Annie her younger sister dancing, but Ali was the percussionist! (Annie did play violin, cello, and alto saxophone, thank you God for their talents! )

By high school, Ali had been playing piano for 7 years. She knew her music well, and had been playing bells (xylophone), and marching bells in the marching band for a couple of years! By sixteen, she could play marimba, of course all the drums, snare, tympani, base, blocks, chimes, triangle, –I’m sure there must have been at least 12 instruments at times! We would watch her perform in concerts both at Enloe High School here in Raleigh, NC,  and later at North Carolina State University, where she played in 3 bands and sang in 5 choral groups! LOL You could see the percussionists moving around behind the other musicians…but only us parents perhaps knew just how hard they were working…concentrating…sweating bullets to add to , not to detract from , the beautiful music! We learned a lot and enjoyed a lot! I had no idea the talents she had, and the first time I heard her play “The Flight of the Bumblebee” in concert…well, someone had to shut my mouth as it was hanging open in amazement!

Because Ali loved percussion so…she introduced us to things like drumming  circles…and the musical “Stomp!” We would never have understood this rhythm of life, this heartbeat of our souls, if we hadn’t had this player of twelve percussion instruments! Thank you Lord above for the multitude of gifts that you gave both of our daughters– talents you gave them which brought joy to us, and to many—and continue to do so!  May they praise you in Jesus’s Christ’s name.

This blog itself , this Christmas blog has been a blessing to me especially this year as I was not well, and unable to get out of the house to join in worship and celebrations. By thinking about other blessings in my life, I have been cheered. All of you who have commented here, by phone, and on facebook have warmed my heart, and brought me joy. Thank you my friends and family, you are the best and I love you dearly, Helen