This year Charlie loved every minute of dance! Last year dance was canceled so often, it was essentially non-existent. But just like a farmer treasures the rain after a drought, Charlie was extra excited to be in dance after experiencing a year like last. Because of dance, Charlie was trying to learn the days of the week so she could count down until her next dance lesson. One of her first questions each morning was “is today Monday?” and when Monday finally came, she would run into the studio with a smile, leaving with a smile just as big.
In Eston, we are exceptionally lucky to have Miss Lindsay as our dance instructor. Lindsay is amazing with the kids, in fact I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone better with kids than she is. She loves all of our children like her own. She greets them with giant smiles, hugs them, encourages them and makes them feel like the minute she saw them was the very best part of her whole entire day. Miss Lindsay has been an incredible blessing to each one of our kids and Charlie is absolutely enamoured with her.
This year Charlie performed in her very first dance recital. I was giddy to see her on stage, all dolled up and trying her best. She loved performing in front of everyone, she didn’t panic in front of a crowd and although the day was very long, she wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.
The first song Charlie’s group performed was “Achy Breaky Heart” and I couldn’t have loved it more as it felt like a full circle moment for me. I’ve been to a lot of concerts in my life, dozens and dozens actually but Billy Ray Cyrus was by far my favourite concert. At the time I went, Billy Ray was my favourite musician, every day after school I would come home, put in my “Some Gave All” tape and blast it in my gettoblaster. My parents surprised me for my twelfth birthday with tickets for the whole family to go to his concert – this is still one of my favourite surprises to this day. I adored Billy Ray and swooned over his suave mullet. His wrangler butt drove me nuts and I am fairly certain he was my first celebrity crush. I can still remember being almost front row on the floor, propped up on top of my Dad’s shoulders so I didn’t miss a thing. Right before Achy Breaky Heart started, Billy Ray Cyrus looked out into the crowd and pointed directly at me and said “this ones for you” and I…lost…my…mind. I screamed so hard on my Dad’s shoulders he almost dropped me. I bawled as my sisters pawned at my legs screaming up to me “HE SAID THAT TO YOUUU”. I was a preteen girl, on top of the world as my favourite song blasted in my eardrums, a moment so intense it etched itself into my memory as a gift for me to keep forever.
Now here I am, twenty five years later. I am a Mom sitting in a crowd, looking up to a stage with “Achy Breaky Heart” playing in my ears all over again yet it feels like a whole new world. Once more my eyes are filled with tears, my heart is pounding in my chest, I have a smile plastered on my face, only this time, the only person catching my eye on stage is my beautiful daughter and she is stealing my heart far more than a country music star ever has.
Charlie performed her heart out, she loved it all. When dance officially ended, she cried as she wasn’t ready for the fun to stop. Charlie still performs her dances for a few specially selected people and if you are lucky enough to be her Mom, you get to watch those dances so often you could do them yourself with your eyes closed (only you would never dare to close your eyes because if you miss a single millisecond of her performances, the dance has to start from the veryyyy beginning).
In a list of what Charlie loves most in life, right next to Kitty would be dance. Try as I may to plant the seed that hockey is better (purely out of fear I may not be cut-out as a dance Mom), this girl has dance running through her veins and the next dance season can’t come fast enough for her.
Bountifully Blessed 