text and images britt-arnhild
My mother´s 82nd birthday.
Terje and I drove to my parents´house after work and had an early dinner there. The four of us ate at a corner of the old black table, inherited from my grandparents. The huge table was already set for coffee.
Uncle John 85, mother´s oldest brother, arrived first. By taxi. With his walker. Then mother´s younger sister with fiancee, older sister with husband, a couple of very dear family friends.
My mother had been rehearsing a new piece of piano music.
How I love to listen to her playing.
I couldn´t help teasing uncle John: "I know why my mamma is such a clever piano player. When you were kids the piano was right outside your room, and every time you sat down to do your homework, she started to practice. Just to tease you."
"You are right, but that´s only part of the tale" uncle John replied. "Actually I loved her playing. I stopped doing my homework to listed to her music, and slowly I started to know one composer from another. Her playing taught me to distinguish Bach from Mozart, she introduced me to Grieg, I loved her Chopin pieces......."
My mother had another piece to play for us. The first one was by the Swedish Peterson-Berger, this one was Russian.
I closed my eyes.
The music transported me 70 years back in time.
To a huge red wooden house.
A family of 6.
Mother. Father. An older brother. Three sisters.
A house filled with music, laughter, joy, but also tears, sorrows, teasing.
A house filled with life.
The history of my life.
Happy Birthday mamma.
And thank you for filling my life with music.
Photos: yesterday along the canal
Mother´s birthday was yesterday, March 5th
