Goodbye to an Old Friend

I wish I could remember the year, but it was Christmas sometime in the 1990s.  For many years we had an old, antique upright piano.  We had purchased it used- very used back in the 80s.  It was old.  The stories it could tell if it could talk.  But it was time for a new piano.  Some of the keys no longer played.  So, Ken listed it for sale and buyers came to pick it up.  Then on Christmas eve of that year in the '90s, this beautiful, new piano was delivered to my home.  Though I knew it was coming because we had sold the old one, Ken had gone to the music store and picked it out himself to surprise and please me.  I loved my new piano.  Then, a few years later,  when my parents passed away, I inherited my mom's grand piano (in 2003.)  We moved this piano to the basement.  After that, it got played only occasionally.  So we offered it to Michelle and Brian.  Their oldest child is eight and ready to learn to play. "Let's get it where it will be loved and used," said the logical side of my brain.  But the emotional side was  saying, "but Ken chose this for you and surprised you with it and you are attached." It was a little bit hard to give it away.
When they came through after Christmas, Brian rented a truck and we arranged for neighbors to help us get that piano out the back door (we have a walk-out basement) and up the grass hill.  No easy task.  We also gave them an old freezer and bike to put in their big truck.  It was time to say goodbye to a well-loved old friend.

All cleaned and ready to go.  Goodbye, dear friend!

The rented truck.

The kids thought this was a great adventure!

The neighbors who helped us were a little less thrilled with the adventure, I'm sure.  That was hard work!

Plywood boards had to keep leap frogging in front to get it across the grass and up that steep hill.  We are so grateful for these good men who helped (Jason, Neil, and Joel.)

Later that night, Brian texted this picture, showing the piano all set up in their home.  It looks beautiful there!

I'm sure when I see it in their home and then later hear those kids playing it beautifully, it will lessen the sting of saying goodbye to a dear, old friend!