Learning guitar
“it’s no use. i’ll never get this,” holly said. she was sitting on the floor with her back against a couch. a guitar lay in her lap. she shook her left hand in the air. “my fingertips hurt.”

“you can quit now,” her mom said. “but if you do, it’ll be harder to start back up again. i think you have a decision to make.”

holly stood up and leaned the guitar against the couch. “i have decided. i’m going to get a piece of pie to me decide.” she sighed and walked into the kitchen.

she sat at the table eating her dessert. her dad walked in. “is this a break from guitar practice? ” he asked.

holly's mom was in the kitchen baking a pie and listening to her daughter's struggles. she took the pie out of the oven and placed it on the counter.

“yeah, i’m done for the night,” holly said.

“why so down? ” her dad asked.

“i don’t know. i just don’t think i’ll ever play well.”

“no one’s asking you to make records like the beatles,” her dad said.

“but i should at least be able to play a couple of chords halfway decently. and besides, my fingers hurt.”

“well,” said her dad. “there is no getting around the fact that until you have calluses, you are not a guitar player. come over here,” he said as he walked toward the couch. “play me what you know.”

holly rose slowly, going to the couch, sitting on the floor and picked up the guitar.

“give me a g,” her dad said, and holly played the note on the guitar. “that’s pretty good,” he responded. “now give me a d . . not bad . . i'd say you’re coming along.”

“really? ”

"yeah, really. for someone who’s been playing for just one week, i’d say you’re ahead of the game. now you need to work on the calluses.”

holly rose. “i’m going to call josh and tell him that i’ll keep at it for a while longer.” she then left the room.

“since when did you know what a g or a d should sound like? ” holly's mom asked.

use the passage to answer the question.
which of the following statements best identifies a theme explored in “learning guitar”?

a. good friends are always there to show support for each other.
b. sometimes, honesty is not always the best policy.
c. the way to comfort a troubled soul is to satisfy the sweet tooth.
d. a few kind words can do much to build confidence.