May 11, 2023
What was the blessing of the ivories? What was so special about a ruined upright piano? And do you think Mr. White knew?
I can’t tell you. I wasn’t there. But my mother was. Her story is today’s topic, and she can tell you all about that dirty, discarded old piece of furniture.
Here is what she said:
The Blessing Of The Ivories
For the second time, overwhelmed with surprise and joy, I sat down and let my fingertips touch the cool keys of the piano. Its music had come to me as a great gift to my heart once more.
But to truly understand the blessing, you have to know the beginning.
In Need of Music
In 1956, I moved from Louisiana to Georgia as a (very) young bride. I left the family piano back in Louisiana. I missed it terribly. Playing the piano was my tension reliever and spirit lifter. I was never very good at piano playing, but playing the piano was very good for me.
In that time of loneliness and homesickness that every new bride knows, I decided to take the small amount of money I had saved and go piano hunting.
It became obvious very quickly that my small amount was nowhere near enough.
My Forlorn Stone-Broke Compromise
At Cecil White Pianos in East Atlanta, I faced the sad truth of denial as I viewed the prices of the pianos for sale. I would need to save a lot longer to get any kind of piano.
Brokenhearted, I was being ushered out by Mr. White when I saw his workers unloading an upright piano in the parking lot. It was in a state of ruin. It had been left outside for a while, evidenced by the red mud on the cabinet. Many of the ivories were missing.
I gazed at that bleak piano and asked Mr. White if he would sell it to me. I was deeply longing for any kind of piano. He asked me how much money I had, and I replied “$65.00.”
Unbelievably, Mr. White said he would sell it to me for that amount.
I purchased the piano. He asked for my address so they could deliver it.
The Ivories
When the piano arrived at my house, I was beyond delighted. It was cleaned up and had new ivories. It had been tuned.
You have to understand that my $65 was not sufficient to cover even the piano, much less the repairs and tuning that were done, and the delivery to my home.
Music that I loved was once again in my life.
My gratitude to Mr. Cecil White has never dimmed over the years. It was one of the kindest and most generous things ever done for me.
The Blessings
My daughters received their first piano knowledge on that old upright beauty. Our efforts, though amateur, filled our home with music. The piano was well loved, despite its age and dark crackled exterior.
Over the years, my first marriage ended and I eventually remarried. The piano moved with me to a small town south of Atlanta and continued to be the center of family activity.
Mr. Knight, in the nearby town of McDonough, refinished the cabinet for me. We kept the piano tuned. It actually moved several more times — first to the home of my oldest daughter, then to the home of my youngest. The next generation began to hone their skills on those well-loved ivories.
This beautiful instrument, over 40 years old when I acquired it, had now been serving our household faithfully for another 40 years. We began to see signs of frailty.
Eventually, the strings became so old that the piano could no longer be tuned. Considering that it was manufactured in 1906, and factoring in all the moves it had made, this family treasure had held out for a long time. I made inquiries, but no one seemed interested in buying it. Finally, with some degree of sadness, we decided to trash it.
Was This The End of the Piano?
It certainly seemed so.
Then…
The idea of trying to restore the piano’s function began to stir in my heart. I didn’t completely understand the process, but I wanted to find out if it could be done.
Right away, I came upon the name of Rick Cooley, in Avondale Estates. I learned that he had been working on pianos since he was a teen, and that his love was restoring old pianos. I made an appointment for him to look at the piano. He came, took a careful look, and gave me a price. It was not a small amount, but for me it was worth it.
Mr. Cooley made arrangements for a piano mover to pick up the piano at my daughter’s house and deliver it to his shop in Avondale Estates.
After a few months, he had the same mover deliver the piano to me, fully restored.
The Blessing of The Ivories
For the second time, overwhelmed with surprise and joy, I sat down and let my fingertips touch the cool keys of the piano. Its music had come to me as a great gift to my heart once more.
What a wonderful sound this instrument has. I truly believe the music is made even sweeter by the history of that old piano.
So often I think of Mr. White and the generosity he showed. I am sure he never dreamed of the pleasure that piano would give, and what a great blessing it would be to me 60 years later.
From Grammye;
So that’s my mom’s Piano Story, The Blessing of the Ivories. (Did you read the Cameo Story last week?)
She graciously agreed to let me share some of her story collection in the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day this year.
It has been very sweet for me, to savor the words of her past, and to know the trials and joys my mother experienced as a young woman.
ABOUT THE DETAILS:
Cecil White & Sons is still in existence, now located in Peachtree Corners (Norcross) northeast of Atlanta. I wasn’t able to find a website, but you can certainly find them online.
Where is Avondale Estates ? The small city is located 8 miles east of Atlanta. It was founded in 1924, and was the home of the first Waffle House in 1955.
The village has been well known in recent years for a young population and many artisan businesses, Rick Cooley had his business here for a number of years. He now has his shop (Rick Cooley Pianos) where he lives, in nearby Decatur. His amazing website shows his love for the work he does. You should check it out.
If you love shop talk about pianos, you can read this Wikipedia article until your eyes bleed. So many intricate things described and explained. It is amazing how many working parts there are beyond what we see, to produce the sound we have come to love.
Refurbish, restore, rebuild, those words all mean something when it comes to healing old pianos.
Blessings…
Amazing, the concept of healing — broken things that don’t work can be made whole again.
Thank you for showing up today, for reading my mom’s story.
And something else…
Thank you for the trials you have endured. For the seasons when you had not enough money, or not enough friends, or not enough comfort, or not enough hope.
We know a source, don’t we? Provisions, comfort, hope. We just forget to go there. Romans 15:13 says this:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Every person I know has struggled, has ministered, and has understood. I pray that you find yourself on both sides of joy — the giving and the receiving.
Will You Tell Your Story?
What is it that happened in your past that impacted your life for good? Shouldn’t you savor the memory?
Or maybe tell the story?
Because… you know what?
Your story already has a place to land in someone else’s heart. Tell it.
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-Grammye
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