Lost a piece of me

I know I may sound a bit melodramatic but it sure felt like it....

I have lost of piece of me.

21 years ago, I started a path to follow my heart. It was the first memorable moment I felt I had a choice to do what I wanted to do in life as a child. Granted I was 10 years old but I do recall that at a very young age I had liked music. Music was my life.

Some back story...
When I was like 5 my dad was trying to learn piano and I remember trying to take notes because it seemed so interesting. Well slowly I showed interest until we had the opportunity to learn more about music at school, I don't recall if just the Director Ms. Bissell and Mr. Edo who came or if they brought students. I do recall  that she played the oboe and the cello (Jaws) and Mr. Edo played the clarinet and the Drums in my elementary school. I was in 5th grade and finally had the chance to play the violin. For the longest time I was fixated on the violin and I knew what I was going to play. When they came and played  for us, I was so impressed. Later they placed them on a table so we could see them and that was the moment I fell in love for the first time. It the most beautiful instrument I had ever seen in my life, the clarinet.

It got me through middle school, high school and even got me into the music program for the university I went to.

What am I doing now? Well since I stopped teaching music lessons in November 2013,  I now work in a job were I can support my family. The clarinet was my life for the longest time and I enjoyed showing others how to appreciate it and love it.

The clarinet I got in 1995 was a black Selmer Clarinet, it was a new student model that my dad worked his tired body to make sure I would be able to follow my dream. He got it Rent-to-own so you know he over paid for it. And I loved him and the clarinet with all my life.

I am currently out of CA; in Atlanta for a trade show and Johnson texted me asking what I had in the back seat. I told him it was my clarinet. Danny ( my 10 yr old son) was thinking about playing the clarinet in band and since my clarinet needs work we were going to take it apart together and re-pad it, re-cork it,  clean it and put it back together. It was going to be a mommy and son project. I had bought the parts to start this project together.

Johnson just told me it was stolen from his car. A part of me just hurts so much to know this has happened. So many memories so much love I had for it. I was about to pass it down. It was going to be my own special gift. I was so excited when we put it together to test it out and now? Now?? What do I do? It feels like a part of me has been taken/ stolen from me. I know no one understands how I feel about it but I couldn't help but cry. It was my baby.

My baby is gone, my 20 yr old baby!