Last night my friends popped into the dojo to say goodbye – this is my ten year old friend who introduced me to Teacher, and her parents.  They are moving to Ohio because Mom is an academic and took a new gig there.  Dad is a musician, a flutist, who has encouraged me to look into jazz on the violin.

I’m going to miss them a lot – Mom and Dad and I have had many great chats about a great many things while the young one is on the training floor, and they frequently offered me rides home after classes too – generally I bike or take the train.  We are kindred spirits, and I’ll miss them.

Teacher and I bonded over the family’s pending departure in last week’s lesson – she told me the ten year old had her final lesson the day before.  Her path has been a bit bumpy on the instrument – she was in a car wreck that caused her to have some persistent, lingering neck pain, and she had to be very careful both in karate and on the violin (especially on the violin, ironically) for a good many months.  I asked Mom and Dad if they were going to continue with Suzuki for her in Ohio, and they said that Teacher had given them a new teacher’s name, and that they are definitely planning to make it happen.

The ten year old is not as optimistic about her prospects of finding a new martial arts home.  I understand (we do all desperately love our school), but I hope they can make that happen too!

This goodbye follows on the heels of another last week – a family that left for a rabbinical posting in Utah.  I’ve written about them before here too – the rabbi has the biggest record collection I’ve ever personally seen.

So we’re down by two musical families at the dojo.  Both want me to come visit.  I’ve always preferred the Spanish luego to the English goodbye – hopefully we’ll make it happen.

Thanks for reading.

Ryan