She swallowed the sun …

She did! She swallowed the sun but she managed not to blow up! – Okay not quite, but sure felt like it.
My little one was frustrated, and she told me that she is fed up with her piano teacher –Yes, again the same piano teacher that my fourteen old one was agitated with. Is it time to change the teacher? Well that itself is a different discussion...


--courtesy of wallpaper4me.com

So, I came home late last Wednesday after attending my public speaking club. She told me in her enraged voice. I listened attentively like always. Then she went on saying that:

“The problem with her (the piano teacher that is,) she never looks at anything positively. Always pointing at the negative things, the things that I am not good at. Complaining this piece, or that piece.”
With a slight pause she continued, “I’ve tried my best. In fact this time I tried even harder than previous weeks. Can't she just look at my effort and focus on the things that I have improved on instead of picking on the stuff that I didn’t do well in?”
Another pause,“I promised myself last time, if she would get mad at me again. I would yell at her. But, I just couldn’t do it.”

I nodded and said, “I am glad you didn’t do it because it is just not okay to yell at an authoritative figure.”
“I know…”
“I know how you feel and I don’t like that either. I gave a speech the other day on promoting positive attitudes and I even blogged about this Half empty or half full .. it is your choice.”
“Should I send her a copy of my blog?” Attempted to cheer her up.
She nodded, but still is frustrated.
“What do you think we should do? Should we change the piano teacher?”
“No.”
“Do you think the teacher was anxious due the fact that the CM (Certificate of Merit) test is just around the corner? Or is she always behaving like this?”
“Usually she is still okay.”
"What should we do?”

After calming down a bit, she suggested that she should not take CM tests anymore. She convinced me by saying that piano to her is merely for pleasure, and she is not going to live her life as a pianist. She didn’t feel that there is any need to go through the extra stress in life just to have another certificate. She also mentioned that without CM test she still thinks that she can excel in piano. She believes her skill will get better as she learns harder pieces each time. I nodded in agreement at the end.

Much later, after a warm shower, she told me this, “Mommy … I am very proud of myself!”
“Because?”
“I couldn’t believe that I have convinced you in a very calm manner. I didn’t even throw my usual temper tantrum .” --In the past, she would simply throw her temper tantrum if I disagreed with her.
I smiled and said, “I see that you have learned and realized how powerful positive negotiation skill is. By negotiating, you have exercised your words to convince others.”
She said, “Yes. I feel contented and am proud of myself.”

In fact she should be! I didn’t realize that my little girl has grown up so much. She did swallow the sun and not only did she manage not to blow up, but she has become a wiser person! This is another moment of my life that I would treasure for a lifetime, a moment lodged in my heart.  

Until next stop,
Journey of Life