Moonlight Sonata

On this day in 1802, Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" was published. According to the Writers' Almanac I read daily from Garrison Keillor, its real name is the slightly less evocative "Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Major, Opus 27, No. 2," and its Italian subtitle means "almost a fantasy." As one who watches the moon, I am reminded of the fantasy of moondance, of grandeur and of glory that comes with moon gazing. But what I learned today is that Beethoven attributed the emotion of the piece to sitting at the bedside of a friend who had suffered an untimely death. That thought gives new meaning to the piece of music and to the marvel of the moon. Sitting at the bedside of a dying friend is a holy honor...may the memory of the moon and the music be with you if and when you next are called to that honor.