Radio City Here We Come??? We'll have to wait and see!

I grew up a regular on the recital stage. I started taking ballet very young after my pediatrician recommended it to help a fairly severe case of pigeon-toed feet. It was a slow start...I remember thinking all that work at the bar was boring...the soft music, the foot positions, all of it...too low-key for me, needless to say, it was a long first year. Then something happened around recital time, I began to love it and thus began a 10 year run at the Meredith Gravely School of Dance. With each year, I added new classes and eventually made the "senior" class and kick line. I was not so athletic and didn't much care for sports but I had a natural ability for tap, ballet and point and this hobby became an enormous part of my life (and carved an enormous chunk from my parent's checkbook - THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!) The memories of my dancing days warm my heart and always bring a smile to my face.

Fast forward 20 years...

One of my first "happy daydream" moments after learning that the baby in my tummy was a girl...yes, you guessed it....I couldn't wait to have a little girl in a dance recital. I wanted to be on the other side of that experience, sitting in the audience watching and beaming with pride as my little dancer made her debut. I had that moment last night and it will be one I never forget. I had the camera ready and right before her number, I put the camera away and decided I would rather spend those 4 minutes watching with her...soaking in every minute with no distractions. I am so happy I did. I could not have been more proud of that little girl and yes, I am certain that she was the cutest one on that stage last night.

Throughout this first year, Lilly has protested on many a trip to ballet class....says it's boring....wants to try gymnastics next. Inside myself I am screaming "No Lilly No....You must dance!" but God reminds me...every time... that this is NOT my dream...it gets to be hers....so if she chooses the gym over the ballet studio, then that's where we will be and I will be cheering her on, every step of the way.

Until then, I am ever so thankful to have gotten these 4 precious minutes...hope you find them precious too.

(Stick with it all the way until the end...and watch that girl wave as she leaves the stage. Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but I wonder if she might just be back someday....)