shows how much i know

Tuesday afternoon was a rough one for our middle daughter.  She’s been involved in the theatre since for about 8 years.  At one point she was the youngest (and smallest) member of Singing Onstage’s Broadway Showkids.  She loves acting, and she fills our house with songs.  The callback list for the middle school fall play was posted Tuesday afternoon.

Her name wasn’t on it.  All her friends’ names were.

As the news sank in and tears formed in her eyes, I wracked my brain–say something comforting.  Say something to console.  Say something…I thought of rational things, encouraging things, and distracting things.  But in the end, I realized that I couldn’t console her.  She didn’t want to be consoled.  She wanted to be in the play.

So I opted for a few spoken words and a long hug.

Through her tears, she said that maybe she’d gotten cast and they didn’t need to hear her read again.  I swallowed hard against her hope, and told her that she shouldn’t count on that.  Honestly, there were a lot of names on that callback list, and most of them were as serious about the singing and acting as she is.

Fast forward to today.  Lilly was walking down the hallway at school when her friend spotted her.  From way down the hall (and surely against school rules) her friend hollers:  LILLY!  CONGRATULATIONS!  A few minutes later Lilly got the scoop.  Just like she said, they cast her without a callback.  She got a part in A MidSummer Night’s Dream, playing the role of a fairy named Cobweb.

I couldn’t be happier for Lilly, and once again, I am reminded that I don’t know a thing.  I should keep my rational mouth shut, let my girl dream, and encourage her to keep believing.

As a dad, I want to protect my kids from harm, to guard their hearts against hurt, to keep them safe.  The only problem is that playing it safe isn’t how life is lived.  Without risk, there is no reward.  There will be disappointments and heart-breaking rejections, but there will also be times of great joy and fabulous victory.  You can’t have one without risking the other.

I apologized to her today, on our way to Levi’s football game.  She was very gracious toward me, and didn’t even point out the fact that I was wrong.  She’s a good one, that Lil.

Check out the Fonz at 1:40

well, at least I don’t have a problem admitting that I was wrong…