The Moment Keeper by Buffy Andrews Page A

all the time. Every day.”
    “Sarah, look at me.”
    I stopped looking at the floor and looked at Miss Wagaman.
    “Do you want to play the violin?”
    I bit my lower lip.
    “Don’t be afraid to tell me the truth. It’s OK whatever the answer is. I won’t be mad.”
    I shook my head no and started to cry. “But Grandma wants me to play and I don’t want to disappoint her.”
    “It’s OK, Sarah. Playing the violin isn’t for everyone. Just like playing a sport isn’t for everyone. Hopefully you’ll find your passion one day and when you do, you won’t practice because you’re told to but because you want to. And there’ll be a big difference in the outcome.”
    “How will I know what I’m good at?”
    “By trying different things,” Miss Wagaman said. “You tried the violin. You’ve tried for nearly a year now and it’s not for you. And that’s OK. So, maybe it’s time to try something else. Not because your grandma wants you to or I want you to but because you want to.”
    “But how will I tell Grandma? I don’t want her to be mad at me.”
    “Just tell her. Sometimes what we fear the most is what we should fear the least. Your grandma doesn’t love you because you play the violin. She loves you for you. And, adults are pretty smart. They often have things figured out way before kids do.”
    “Was I really that bad?”
    “I could just tell that your heart wasn’t in it and I’d rather have you find something that your heart is in.”
    “What if I don’t find anything?” I asked.
    “You will. Life has a way of leading us down paths that we didn’t know were there.”
    “Dad, Dad.” Olivia runs to greet him at the door. “Can I play the flute?”
    Tom looks at Elizabeth.
    “Hey, Libs, let me at least get in the door.”
    Olivia follows her dad as he hangs up his overcoat, sits his leather briefcase in his office and grabs a cup of black coffee.
    He pulls out a kitchen chair and sits down. “Now, what’s this about the flute?”
    “We got this paper today about playing an instrument. Emma’s going to play the flute and I want to play the flute, too.”
    “Because Emma’s doing it or because you want to do it?”
    “Both.”
    “Do you think you have enough time to play the flute and dance?”
    “Yes.”
    Tom looks at Elizabeth. “Remember last year when you wanted to play the viola and quit after a few weeks?”
    Olivia nods. “But that was different.”
    “How so?”
    “It made my arms tired and my chin hurt.”
    “What about the time you wanted to play basketball? And soccer?”
    “I had to run too much.”
    “Here’s the deal, Libs. Your mom and I want you to try new things. We understand it’s part of growing up. Heck, I tried a lot of different things when I was a kid. But we don’t want you to do something because your best friend is doing it. We want you to do it because you want to do it. Don’t be a follower or feel pressured into doing something just because other people are doing it. And, I don’t like you starting stuff and not finishing it. That’s a bad habit to get into.”
    “Your dad’s right, Libby.”
    “But I really want to play the flute.”
    “How about you think about it for a couple of days? If you still want to try it then, we’ll talk about it again.”
    Olivia hangs her head. “OK.”
    I thought about my talk with Miss Wagaman the rest of the day. By the time I got home I had rehearsed my speech to Grandma so much that when I opened my mouth the words gushed out as if they had been held hostage and couldn’t wait to be freed.
    “Gram, I know how much you wanted me to play the violin because it’s been in your family like forever but I stink at it and it’s just not for me and I’m sorry because I want you to be proud of me even if I don’t play the violin like you wanted me to.”
    “Sarah, slow down,” Grandma said. “Come here and sit with me.”
    I followed Grandma to the couch. She eased herself down into the flattened