Treasuring moments

I came home from an unforgettable Austin trip to a refurbished home and a big surprise - a piano.
Since I'm a poor little girl, the piano wasn't new (which I don't mind at all), and like all used things, it came with a story. Let me tell you the story of my new old piano:

A few weeks ago I went with my mom to check out a piano that was for sale. Don, a cheery old man greeted us and as he took us upstairs to the piano, explained that it belonged to his late wife who died 3 years ago. He told us he doesn't play, and is looking to get rid all the extra furniture in the house because he was moving out to live with his kids. My mother, being clueless and Asian and completely insensitive, demands for him to take out some  piano music for me to play so she can listen to the sound of the piano.

The music obviously belonged to his wife. Being the obedient daughter like I always am (lol) I sit down and play from the old, yellowed, wrinkled sheets, and the entire time I was feeling so extremely horrible because I couldn't even begin to imagine what Don must have been feeling.

Listening to the familiar music, now being played by a random asian stranger, what was he thinking? Was he feeling pain? sadness? nostalgia? irritated that I'm intruding on a part of his memory with his wife? appreciative that I could make use of the music that has been sitting in a dusty stack for years? comfort? regret? longing?

Yeah, maybe I think too much about this kinda stuff, but on the entire way back I couldn't help wondering about Don. I wondered if he wishes he spent more time listening to his wife play the piano. I wonder if he regrets the things he couldn't do for her, or with her.

It's human nature to put things off for later (some people more than others though, i actually really don't like people like that who don't get on their stuff). My mom, for one, endlessly lectures me on the fact that i "play too much right now". She tells me that right now I should focus on school, work, career, and once I get settled then i'll have the time and freedom to have fun and enjoy life. I think her logic is wrong - we cannot, and should not have the mentality that tomorrow will always be here as backup for what we cannot accomplish today. It's too easy to get absorbed into work and fail to pay attention to other things in life. But life is short and unpredictable. If I do as my mom says, it will go something like this: "I'll work hard now and I can go to Europe (hypothetically) after i get in med school!" Then (if I get in) "I'll get through med school and go after I get in residency instead" Then "Man residency's so tiring I guess I'll wait til after I finish with everything" Then "I'll wait til my kids get older and go to college and then i'll take a real trip" etc etc.

So I think if I work so hard during the week right now, I owe it to myself to go out and enjoy myself over the weekend. instead of locking myself in and slaving over MCAT passages.

okay, well before i get too off topic, I guess what I'm trying to say is, live it up, live for now, for today.
Work hard, play hard. Treasure the little moments in life that make you happy, remember the reason behind every smile - they always will make you smile.