By Morgan Mizell

NATCHEZ — Darlene Gilbert’s love of music has done many things in her life, including bringing her together with her church family at Grace Methodist Church five years ago.

As a child, Gilbert tried to play songs she’d heard on her toy piano.
“I played by ear,” Gilbert said. “I think my mom saw how interested I was in music and decided to get me piano lessons.”

Gilbert’s interest in music grew through her involvement in school choir.

“I was in the ninth grade at South Natchez when I heard the Natchez Singers, our upper-class choir, sing,” Gilbert said. “It was then I knew I wanted to be involved with music education.”

Gilbert attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson and Delta State University. She has spent the last 16 years teaching music in the Natchez-Adams School District.

“I have moved around in NASD a good bit in my 16 years,” Gilbert said. “The neat thing is I have moved with my students, and have had the chance to watch them grow up. It has been an amazing experience.”

Recently, Gilbert was presented with an opportunity no one in music education could resist.

“I was not looking to change jobs or leave my students, but I got a really great offer in a different school system,” Gilbert said. “The program I am moving into will allow me to work with students who desire to take their music education and skills to the next level. It is exciting.”

For Gilbert, the experience seemed surreal.

“I had not been praying for a change like this in my life,” Gilbert said. “But, it was just handed to me, and it felt like something I needed to do.”

In recent years, Gilbert’s life has been full of struggles she said she would not have been able to walk through without her faith and church family.

“When I was transferred to Frazier, we found out my dad was ill,” Gilbert said. “In that time, I was trying to settle into my job, keep a check on my father, check on my mom and help care for my father-in-law who was staying in our home.”

In the midst of her busy schedule, Gilbert was diagnosed with a rare form of uterine cancer.

“I was so busy taking care of everyone,” Gilbert said. “When I got the news, my world just sort of stopped.”

The discovery of the cancer was somewhat of a miracle.

“I had been having issues for some time, and when I finally decided to go to the doctor, they just happened to discover the cancer through a biopsy,” Gilbert said. “They told me it was unusual for this form of cancer to be discovered in its early stages. It is typically a very aggressive cancer.”

Gilbert’s church family surrounded her and shored her and her family up during her personal trials.

“I talked to God a lot through this time,” Gilbert said. “I had been brought up in church, but I really feel like God brought this piano playing job, at this specific church, so these amazing people would be in my life at this time.”

Gilbert said the members of the church were so understanding and gracious.

“I had to take time away from the choir practices and they made sure everything was taken care of,” Gilbert said. “They brought food to the house, checked in on us and prayed with and for us.”

Gilbert said she has never felt as at home with a group of church people as she does with the members of Grace United Methodist Church.

During Gilbert’s cancer battle, she was also faced with tremendous loss.

“Dad had gotten a little better and come home from the hospital only to have my mom, who was battling dementia, die suddenly,” Gilbert said. “Six weeks later, to the day, dad passed away.”

Gilbert also lost her sister-in-law, father-in-law and her closet aunt in less than a year.

“It was kind of a blur,” Gilbert said. “If I had not had my church family, and my amazing husband Casey, who is the most awesome person ever, I don’t know where I would be. It was tough.”

Through it all, Gilbert said she felt the need to just keep going.

“I feel like I am supposed to be here, and help others,” Gilbert said. “I have learned a lot about perseverance through all of this. I am able to reflect on the way those I have lost lived their lives, and it helps me live mine. They were all such wonderful role models for me.”

Through the loss and personal struggle, Gilbert’s faith has gotten stronger.

“I thank God, daily for my life,” Gilbert said. “It is cool to see how God just worked it all out. It is like that saying, ‘If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it.’”

Gilbert says anyone who is going through a lot in their life should know it is ok to just slow down and take time to process what is happening.

“It is ok to take time to just breathe, cry, grieve and be angry if need be,” Gilbert said. “When the time comes, God will let you know it is ok to be at peace. It will get there.”

Gilbert said her biggest lesson was learning to trust His plan.

“I thought it was unfair, at times,” Gilbert said. “But I do think there is a reason for everything, even if I never understand it, and there is a comfort in knowing God is there. I just take it one stop at a time. I am still here and still smiling.”