Thank you for your heartwarming comment, I really appreciate it.
I can tell percussions are really diffficult to set right. Their dynamics and harmonic content make it one of the hardest elements to mix in my opinion, especially in orchestral settings where the amount of reverb drastically changes how the percussions interact with other instruments.
I found that cutting the low end with an EQ is often a good thing. Volume automation also is a useful tool.