It was the Christmas season of 1993 and my mind was made up. I would soon propose marriage to Lisa Sprinkle! We had known each other since 1988 and had already accumulated so many "best friend" memories. As Billy Crystal once said in a movie, "when you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with you want the rest of your life to begin as soon as possible". One of our favorite dates was always a trip to the mall for browsing and people watching. We had our usual stores we liked to shop in, but the one place we always avoided was the jewelry store. I had heard of couples shopping for engagement rings so the man would have some idea of what to buy, but for some reason we avoided these places like the plague.
Thankfully, my family had an old acquaintance in Nashville, TN that was a jewelry wholesaler. I knew him well enough to call and ask for assistance and explained that I was totally clueless in the arena of ring shopping. We set up a secret meeting at his home. Lisa suspected nothing since I would simply be visiting my family for the holidays. Mr. Pete Owen was so kind as he showed me two or three rings. He then pulled out a special ring that he had held back for some time for unknown reasons. He recommended it highly and not knowing much about such things I simply trusted him and purchased that pretty little diamond.
February 15th, 1994 was a day full of nervousness. I took Lisa to one of our favorite reading spots and she said YES!! I wondered what she thought of the ring and was excited that she wanted to go show it to her Mom. It sparkled in the light and I was so pleased with Mr. Pete's suggestion of that particular ring. The band size was off a bit so Lisa realized it would have to go to the jeweler, but first she would wear it to school where all of her teacher friends would hear the news of the engagement. Honestly, I was a bit anxious when Lisa dropped the ring off with Custom Jewelry. What if it wasn't that nice? What if it was fake or started to disintegrate as he polished it?? A few days later she had gone to pick up the ring and met me later for dinner. I had never seen it shine like that before and Lisa's smile told me that everything was OK. She said, "The jeweler wanted to compliment you on your selection. He said you did a great job and that this was a diamond of high quality, very durable and would always shine brightly if we took care of it. I felt 10 feet tall!! I trusted Mr. Owen with the sale of the ring, but there was just something special about that second opinion after a professional had inspected it more closely.
About 12 years later we were doing our daily routine with our four daughters when our 7 year old approached and said, "I want to do that". "THAT" was actually learning to play the violin as she had been captivated by some women on television who were playing beautifully. What a nice thought. This didn't seem to be a passing fancy though as Anna Claire persisted with her desire to learn violin. Lisa's mom decided to purchase a beginner violin and give it to Anna Claire for Christmas. Oh the joy in the house on that day!! With the parents having very limited musical ability we began a search for someone who could teach our daughter the basics and see if she enjoyed it still.
It just so happened that our youngest daughter had started a local private school where they offered music lessons. We discovered a lady there named Mary Ann Mears who taught a program called Suzuki Violin. Even though Anna Claire was not a student at that school we were permitted to bring her once a week to have lessons with Mrs. Mary Ann. Knowing nothing about how things were supposed to go we simply trusted Mary Ann to lead the way. She had a wonderful blend of kindness and seriousness about what we were all trying to accomplish. She insisted that the parent not only sit in on the early years of lessons, but even try and learn the instrument as well. She incorporated the FAMILY and we liked that very much. Anna Claire really took to the violin and was making steady progress. Lisa and I were also learning things about music and the arts that we had never known.
I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but at some point during Anna Claire's eight year journey with the violin a business relationship with Mary Ann turned into a sweet friendship. Lessons became more personal as we would meet at her home and get a glimpse into her family life. Violin lessons would sometimes get delayed as we talked about dietary issues, health problems, barking dogs and her long time love for the UT Vols. As Anna Claire continued to forge ahead into Book 6 of Suzuki she grew in her desire to teach small children just as Mary Ann had done with her. As parents we may have doubted that our 15 year old was ready to teach, but Mary Ann did nothing but encourage and that venture has been a blessing to us all, as well as Anna Claire's three students.
We knew the day would arrive when Mary Ann would soon recommend that Anna Claire move on to a new teacher with a new skill set. Sometimes doing what is best is not always fun!! God has led us to a wonderful new instructor, but it has been fun to reflect on the wonderful memories of these past years of group classes, recitals and private lessons. I am reminded of the ring I purchased for my bride to be from the standpoint of having no clue as to the value of my selection. A couple of "green" parents chose to put their trust in a kind lady from Olive Branch, MS to teach their daughter not only lessons in violin but also lessons in life. In a sense, we have been the jeweler that has taken a closer look at this particular "jewel" of a teacher. It is with MUCH love that we say to Mary Ann Mears that we couldn't have chosen ANY better. Upon close inspection you have proved to be of high quality, very durable and someone who has brought a sparkle and shine to our family that we would not have otherwise. You are a true GEM to the ADAMS FAMILY!!
