In loving memory of my mother

June 8, 2008 at 9:06 PM

An amateur has music in his/her life; a professional has his/her life in music. You see that in the blogs here on V.com. Many professionals or professional students of the violin make blogs about the whole of their lives, but mine, for example, were just about music and the things I do to improve the experience of it.
This blog is entirely different.

Yesterday we laid my mother to rest. She was a formidable, gifted, loving person who practiced loving speech as best she could, and I am very grateful that I am her son. She was 83 years old when she passed away.
Like me, she played the violin as an amateur. Well aware of the limits faced by many amateur ensembles, she was critical of herself, and occasionally of other people. She could not stand false pretense.
In our youth she was the one who kept us to our practice schedules; later, she very much enjoyed hearing my two brothers or me play.
We celebrated her life in the light of Psalm 95; Mendelssohn's music for that Psalm was played on the organ.
We all played during the memorial service. My younger brother, who is a professional bassoon player, played the slow movement from Marttinen's bassoon concerto; my twin brother and I played the Andante from Mozart's K 526 sonata.

From Yixi Zhang
Posted on June 9, 2008 at 1:19 AM

I’m so sorry to hear your loss, Bart. I do believe that the person we love deeply never leaves us, only the mode of his/her existence changes over time. You are truly lucky to have had such a good mother and I’m sure the same can be said about her to have you.

From Bart Meijer
Posted on June 9, 2008 at 4:07 AM

Thank you, Yixi. I share your belief, but it is easy to get attached to that particular manifestation of her that talked, walked, touched and was touched.

From Laurie Niles
Posted on June 9, 2008 at 5:25 AM

I'm sorry for your loss, Bart. It sounds like you gave her a lovely memorial.

From Tess Z
Posted on June 9, 2008 at 5:26 AM

The hardest loss we suffer is the loss of our parents. I think your memorial service for her was lovely. I bet she was very proud to have raised children who loved music as much as she did.

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on June 9, 2008 at 10:43 AM

I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing something of her life and enabling us to know her a little bit too.

From Mendy Smith
Posted on June 10, 2008 at 1:11 AM

Bart - I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. The memorial for you mother was from the heart and a love ou both shared. She will always be with you through your music.

From Drew Lecher
Posted on June 10, 2008 at 4:18 AM

Bart,
God bless you and your family and my you have the peace that passes all understanding, and the joy and hope that comes with faith in the Lord jesus Christ.
Drew

From Bart Meijer
Posted on June 10, 2008 at 6:53 AM

Thank you all for your words of comfort. Violinist.com is so much more than a bunch of unconnected violin geeks!
The minister who led the memorial service is fond of telling a beautiful story from the Jewish tradition, about a Rabbi Suscha (sp?). Rabbi Suscha said: "When I go to Heaven, the Lord will not ask me why I haven't been Abraham, or Moses. He will ask me why I haven't been Suscha."
My mother has been Miek Meijer-Wartena, an inspiring person. And that inspiration lasts.

From Terez Mertes
Posted on June 13, 2008 at 5:09 PM

Bart, this was so touching. My thoughts are with you and your family. Burying one's mother is indeed one of life's most profound events - I'm so glad you were all able to commemorate it with music.

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In loving memory of my mother

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