Kathy F - Vancouver

When it comes to initiative and perseverance, my mother is unusually gifted – I have always enviously admired her ability to focus and “get down to business” with whatever she puts her mind to. She wanted to play the cello for years, and when she was 40 years old, she bought one. I remember the day she brought it home – it seemed impossibly enormous to me, especially compared to my sister’s violin, which now looked miniature by comparison. She began lessons, and often practiced in the evenings. I have warm, comfortable memories of hearing her practicing down in the living room as I was falling asleep, and sometimes I’d be woken in the morning by her practicing, too. My mother turned 60 last year, and has played in an orchestra for many years now. Her dedication with the cello is just one of the many examples she has given me over the years of how to go after what your heart desires.