A Mother, Her Boy and His Violin

One of the greatest pleasures I have as a mother is getting to know my children.  I take great joy in listening to them and watching them blossom.  I am constantly seeking to understand who they each are as a person and to respect that.  My Joaquin decided when he was about 5 that he wanted to play the violin.  We put him in a local community group to let him try it out.  He really enjoyed it.  Rodrigo and I then decided it was time for a violin teacher for private lessons.  We began to pray and to save.  In the meanwhile, as we were watching the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform with their symphony orchestra one Sunday Morning, Joaquin announced to me "I am going to play with them one day."  I told him that was a wonderful goal and that if he worked at it that of course he could.

Heavenly Father led us to the perfect teacher.  She is a beautiful and very talented person not only in music or the violin but in teaching. Joaquin is blossoming as a player under her tutelage. He is motivated and really enjoys playing.  I love to watch him practice and am often in awe as I watch how comfortable he is with this instrument.  It is like an extension of him, part of him.  I believe he has a gift, not to be some virtuoso but a deep familiarity with the violin a spiritual connection.  Last Sunday, a sister in our ward played a violin solo accompanied by the piano.  Joaquin leaned over to me and said, "Mom, maybe you could tell the Bishop that I can play and I'll play 'I Am A Child of God' in Sacrament."  I shook my head and told him yes, maybe I could.

One of the most important things I feel I can do as a Mother is to take note of my children's gifts and talents and then to help them recognize and cultivate them by constant encouragement and support.  Using the tender wisdom of the scriptures...by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned. (D&C 121:41)