A Star Is Born

This afternoon Zion Christian Academy held their annual talent show. It was open to all the elementary students, their families and friends. My daughter volunteered to play the piano. Yes. You heard me. She volunteered. To play the piano. In front of everybody.

This has all transpired within the last 3 days so there wasn't a lot of time to chicken out. She signed up on Wednesday, performed for her principal and classmates on Thursday and then today it was SHOWTIME! We had a long talk during our prayer time this morning about how God is always with us and when we're afraid He can help us. I'll admit that little pep talk was more for my benefit than hers. I've said before that I see so much of myself in her at this age. Shy, insecure and deathly afraid that someone will laugh or make fun.

She was 3rd on the program so there wasn't much time for me to wallow in nervousness. I watched her face as students and parents piled into the multi-purpose room. It went from smiling & excited to completely glazed over with that deer in the headlights stare. I told Dave "just don't look at her." I knew that if I saw one trace of a tear, the irrational mom in me would scoop her up and tell her she never had to go back to school again! Again, the not looking at her? For my benefit. Not hers.

The time came and they called her name. She walked across the floor with a relatively confident albeit hurried pace and I smiled as I heard her boots clopping. (She specifically told me she would wear her "clip-clop" boots today for that very reason). She sat down, opened her book, placed her hands on the keys and...............................................

SHE PLAYED THE WHOLE SONG WITHOUT MESSING UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She then closed the book, smiled and practically ran back to her seat. Everyone clapped and I had the proudest moment of my new stage-mom life when the mom next to me said "Wow, how long has she been taking lessons? She's really good!" I nodded and thanked her. What I wanted to say was "Do you have any idea that this child doesn't like people to watch her talk? That she still won't even speak out loud to some people she's known all her life? That she clams up in a room full of 5 or 10 people and she just got up and played the stinking piano in a room full of people?????????? DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?!?!?!?

Thankfully, I didn't say all that. I'll save it for the Grammy Awards.