Sometimes, a skill you haven’t touched in decades finds its way back into your life… at exactly the right moment. 🎹

My dad encouraged me to sing and play the piano from when I was small… in fact as soon as I could sit at the piano. I remember those lessons well… the basics, the scales, the theory, the metronome ticking away. And a few years later at the age of around six or seven, I started having proper lessons, and then he would always say:

“Have you practised your piano?”
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Mrs Cooper taught me and my siblings at her house. We’d go after school, take turns in her lounge, watching Grange Hill or Blue Peter until it was our time. Week after week, it became part of life – sometimes a joy, often a chore.

By my mid-teens, it wasn’t “cool” anymore, and I stopped just before my Grade 6 exam. But the ability to read music stayed with me… a skill, like riding a bike, you never forget.

Over the years – through work, socialising, travel, children, studying, running a home – I hardly played. My dad even helped my husband choose a piano for me about 15 years ago. But it mostly sat silent, except when I played along with him… or on the rare occasion I felt like taking out a piano book and tinkering. I suppose I’d always linked the piano to my dad, and playing in front of anyone else filled me with fear of making mistakes.

Until two weeks ago.

You may remember I decided to join a choir 🎶. The first week I was due to sing, the pianist was going to be away. I casually mentioned that I played, and before I knew it, I’d been volunteered.

And here’s the surprising thing… I wasn’t fazed. Something in me was excited. I had a skill someone needed, and it felt like the right time to bring it back into the light.

With just two days to prepare, I practised harder than I had in over 40 years… and last Sunday, I played six hymns. Not perfectly. Mostly right hand. A few wrong notes. But it wasn’t about perfection.

It was about the joy of hearing voices fill the church.
It was about knowing my dad was there with me in spirit, smiling with pride.
It was about rediscovering a part of myself I’d left behind.

Yesterday the pianist was back, so I sang instead.

Sometimes, the skills we put away for decades aren’t lost, they’re simply waiting for the right moment to reappear. And when they do, they don’t just bring joy to others… they remind us of who we are, and what we’re capable of. ✨

Until next time…

Sandra

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💬 If you’re ready to rediscover your skills, build confidence, and take the next step in your career, I can help… through coaching, mentoring, or both.
🔔 Follow me here or on LinkedIn Sandra Smith (née Madeira) FCCA for career and life insights drawn from 30 years in Finance and a passion for helping people thrive.