04/03/2026
✨ March 22 ✨
Today was Sunny’s last recital with us.
In just a week, her family is moving back to Japan.
Over the years, from Malaysia to Singapore to the US, I’ve met so many students.
But every goodbye… it never gets easy.
The day before they left, Sunny’s mom booked a last 30-minute piano lesson.
I was flipping through old videos of Sunny and realized—it’s been two years already. My heart felt a little tight.
Sunny, her mom, and her little brother came into the classroom…
We ended up chatting so much with another parent they knew, the lesson didn’t even start.
Her mom brought handmade gifts: magnets for my cats Yogi and Mufasa, and even a tiny scarf for them.
Time flew by. Thirty minutes, and no piano played.
But Sunny’s mom insisted on paying:
“Consider this lesson all about our chat.” ❤️
When it was time to go, I hugged Sunny and said:
“I will miss you.”
She looked up and said:
“I will miss Yogi too.” 🐾
And just like that, the sadness melted, and we laughed.
I remember the first day she came for class. I mentioned the piece from Spirited Away…
She looked confused. Her mom whispered gently in Japanese: “千と千尋の神隠し”
That day, that piece, and these two years of memories…
they’ll stay in my heart forever.
I hope that whenever Sunny hears or plays this piece, she’ll smile and remember her piano days in the US. 🎹✨
