Knight and Shining… Guitar.
Written by: Danielle Ferguson
I first met her when she was 12 years old. If there truly was such thing as ‘love at first sight’, that must have been what happened. She laid eyes on me and there was just that immediate click! Her face reflected off my deep black color. With a gigantic smile, she set several hard-earned green bills on the counter. She carefully placed me in the car, and then climbed in right after. That young girl held me the whole way home. She named me Knight.
After school every single day, she would find time to spend with me. The inspiration was endless as she would sing song after song; with her raspy little country voice. It wasn’t long before she started taking me places! People everywhere! But most tuning checks before the performances this young girl would often whisper ‘don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous- you can do it!’ I was never sure if she was comforting me or herself… but she would always get up and sing her little heart out.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into years. This young girl wasn’t so young anymore. She started driving, and got her first ‘real job’ at Taco Time; while finishing High School. She graduated, class of ’07, and we moved to a hot place, somewhere far, far away! I think she said it was Louisiana… Whatever -she didn’t have air-conditioning in the apartment! Regardless, this girl became a young lady.
We made the long trek back home to Seattle after a year. No matter how busy my girl became with college, and life, she still found time for me. Song after song she would write. Emotion after emotion; I saw it all. No matter how stressed she became now and again, she would come over, gently pick me up and strum. Every time she left with a smile on her face. It was as if I was that silent ‘friend’ that always had the right thing to say.
The family we grew up in, you see, had a lot of people. My girl is the oldest of 5 kids, and the only girl. Our whole family is very musical! And she is the protector of the bunch. The youngest, little 10-year-old Josh, was drawn to me. He had that same sparkle in his eyes, the sparkle I first saw in that young girl. When my girl was gone, he would sneak into her room, pick me up and strum. He would always try to put me back in the exact same place, but I think she knew exactly what he was doing.
I will never forget the day- Josh was turning 11 years old. My girl was acting quite strange… She picked me up for one last time and whispered, “I’m gonna miss you.” She placed me in my case, put a bow on it, and brought me over to little Josh. I could hear her quietly tell him to take care of Knight. I could also hear him shout excitedly and jump around the house! That’s when I knew it was all going to be okay. The past 10 years with my girl were wonderful. I saw her grow from a young girl to a young lady. Now, I have that privilege, once again; watching her little brother grow from a boy into a young man.
Age 15
One of Those Days
Do you ever have “one of those days”? You know, the days you accidentally sleep through your alarm clock, spill your coffee over your work clothes as you rush out the door, drop your phone in the parking lot, forget to finish an assignment due, tolerate a manager chirping over your shoulder for the entire 8 hour day, ‘misplace’ your wallet, get stuck in traffic… “one of those days?”
It was one of those days for me. I woke up late, dropped my phone in a puddle as I walked out to my car, still beating myself up about a failed assignment I got back last night (so mad at myself!), spilled my coffee… you know, just simply “one of those days.” No matter what seemed to happen throughout the day, everything appeared to go wrong!
Being a nanny for twin, toddler boys, I often read “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” (although I usually add a time-out at the end for his bad attitude- can’t give my twins the ‘wrong idea’). If you are familiar with this book, it would describe today.
In the early afternoon, the boys asked to watch “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” so I turned the T.V on. We all sat on the couch; and as entertaining Mickey Mouse is, I started dozing off. Myles crawled up on my lap, looked me directly in the eyes with that cute little ‘toddler-face’ smile, and said, “Dani, I love you… You’re my favorite”. Wow, all of the bad in the day disappeared with those words! It’s funny how one simple thing can change the direction of the entire day.
Next time you are faced with “one of those days,” don’t forget the simple things that might make it just that much better! The coffee that the stranger in front of you pays for, the ‘wonderful’ people that help you drive better (even if they do cut you off!), the people that stand by you no matter what. What makes your day ‘that much better’?
Dani and Myles
Dani and Marcus
Myles (left) Marcus (right)
