LESSON

In my storage, I have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figure from a long time ago. It is old, faded, and it means absolutely nothing to most people. To me, however, it marked the first time my mother took me to a piano lesson. This action figure was her way of bribing me in agreeing to go to my first lesson.

I got the turtle. I did the lesson. Years later, I can still hear the first notes in my mind.

I visited Lee and Hilda recently on a tour in the Maritimes Provinces. They lived in a simple house in a small town in New Brunswick. The place was so small that both our cellular services and Google Maps gave up on the drive. Them being from my wife’s side of the family, I expected minimal commonalities with them. To my surprise, they knew everything about me.

They knew about my tour, my comedy specials, and even my podcast. Being in their 80’s and barely knowing how to use their phones, they managed to follow me throughout the years with pure commitment. There was genuine endorsement and enthusiasm in their questions not only surrounding my comedy, but me as a person. When we departed, Lee and Hilda gave my wife and I each a zip lock bag filled with snacks. We thanked them as we got in the car. We didn’t look inside the bags until we were miles down the road.

Inside the snack bag, there was a toy car. It is old, faded, and it means absolutely nothing to most people. Upon closer inspection, however, Lee and Hilda had slipped 50 dollars of their hard-earned money inside it. This was their way of thanking us for visiting them when we should be the ones grateful for their hospitality and welcome.

I got the car. I learned the lesson. Months later, I can still feel Lee and Hilda’s kindness in my heart.

-Ed.