Don’t Give Up
There is always hope
I looked into the eyes of my student today, and I knew something was different. He not only was on time for his lesson, but he was also prepared to play. Not only was he prepared to play, but he was also prepared to learn.
I can tell when someone is hungry to learn. It’s obvious. Today he was hungry. Today he was into it.
I’m talking about my student whom I call Bob. It’s not his real name, but I want to preserve his privacy.
Bob has a lot going on at home. His dad is absent, and his mom is stressed out working multiple jobs trying to keep food on the table. It’s not easy for Bob.
Most weeks Bob comes late, doesn’t have his music, and is completely distracted by a million things. There have been so many times I wanted to give up on Bob. But I won’t. Not unless he gives upon himself.
If you made it this far in this article you can resonate with some of this. There is something going on in your life that is hard for you. Really hard. You want to give up. I want to tell you to please don’t give up.
I understand my saxophone student Bob. There have been so many times in my life when I wanted to give up on myself. Other people didn’t give up on me, but I wanted to give up.
Life is just difficult sometimes. We are presented with so many obstacles that we need to overcome in order to survive.
Maybe your obstacle is a physical one. Maybe it’s a mental health issue. Maybe it’s a spiritual issue.
What I want to convey to you is that there is a reason you clicked on this article today. I don’t know what it is. But, I encourage you to not give up on yourself. Reach out for help. Find someone who cares.
I will never give up on my student Bob.
This article is a big thank you to Bob for not giving up on himself.
Thank you for not giving up on yourself.
Essay by John C. Davis © 2022 All Rights Reserved
