I’m not looking forward to tomorrow. I don’t look forward to my days right now anyway, but tomorrow is going to be worse than usual.
I have to tell my Bean, that though she practiced and practiced, that though she sounded great when I heard her (and that’s not just a mom saying that, she really does have a great voice) she didn’t get that special solo she tried out for.
She has had a few of these type of disappointments—because we encourage her to try for things. The sadness and tears afterwards break my heart, but the other side of that is she’d have to not try for these things.
So do we tell her not to try? Oh I’ve thought about it. Especially with this one. Especially since she’s coming off a cold/allergy that just wont stop. I wanted to hide this one from her Why? Because it might hurt? Because she could—well not fail really –because there are a wide variety of reasons that someone might not get a part they tried out for…
For example—Of course when I was a kid I wanted to play Cinderella in the 5th grade play, not a character part.But I was tall and gangly. Not a petite blond flower. However–I utterly and completely stole the show as a wicked step sister (as the stepsisters did when we visited Disney world this year) and again when I got to play Yente years later. Would I liked to have been Tzeitle—sure. But did everyone remember me , all my funny stage business and the only kid capable of doing an accent even years later? Yes. Would I trade those disappointments now? No way.
What am I trying to say about the Bean exactly–well that maybe this was not the thing she needed, or the thing that would be meaningful to her. I know she wanted it. She loves to perform so much. She sings constantly. Practices constantly.
But, this time the Bean didn’t get anything. And I know it’s going to hurt and I’m not looking forward to telling her. Of course I think they made the wrong decision—she’s my kid—how else would I think? But they made the decision they made.
Last month, she got a solo in the school play and had teachers, students and quite a few parents stopping all of us afterwards saying “I hope your daughter is getting lessons, she’s amazing,†and now she doesn’t get to sing with this country and western dude at a Christmas show. That may mean more to the kids that got it than it would have to the Bean. Maybe we should get her a Lady Sylvanus costume and take her to the Anime festival and let her perform for our people there :-)That would be more like her. But still I know she wanted this.
Whether it is our cup of tea or not, we would have supported her. Same way we will if she decides she wants to do Drill Team or whatever they call it now. Yes, two D&D parents will show up to every Football game if she decides she needs to throw pom poms around. Just as we would have shown up for an evening of Country Christmas.
If you think I’m kidding about her being able to sing really well? Just listen to this:
(it’ll be a few minutes before this video goes live—but I had to get this posted before midnight!)
haven’t yet figured out how to embed media in the blogher site)
See, I wasn’t kidding. I’m a proud mommy, but she really is good and it’s really going to be sad to tell her tomorrow. Your kid’s disappointment hurts way worse than anything you ever felt yourself doesn’t it?
