Two years ago, just 2 months into Covid shutdowns, our daughter told me she’d like to stop doing ballet. After years of showing a passion for dance, she had finally just started lessons. (Come on!) We had found a wonderful, supportive studio, and my daughter’s wish to stop really threw me. I wrote about it here.
But, dancing in a dance studio and dancing in our foyer with a computer screen are very different things. She was so young and so new to ballet to be able to cope with the Zoom world of classes. And, so, with a heavy heart and a very big effort to keep the faith that she would find another creative outlet that fit her so well, I supported her decision to stop. Of course we talked about it, and I was honest about my feelings and concerns, but, ultimately, I wasn’t going to ‘force’ her to stay. (I don’t think anyone could force this girl to do anything anyway.) So, she left the Zoom classes at the end of the session, and she didn’t talk about ballet classes for a whole year. Occasionally she’d dance in the living room, and she started expressing her love for dance through other dance forms, but ballet class seemed to be history. And then one day, I don’t know why, it wasn’t.
She asked if she could take classes again. I was beyond thrilled. Turns out we had missed a dramatic year of ballet anyway. The classes had fluctuated from in-person to Zoom, masks to no masks, with some families on board with the studio’s constant efforts to stick by the state’s protocols, and some who were a little less understanding. Our return timing felt perfect.
I’ve watched our daughter progress these last 8 months or so, growing in her skills and confidence and expression. Every night at dinner we share a highlight of our day and a proud moment. And, without fail, every single ballet class day since she went back, our daughter tells us class was her favorite and proudest part of that day. As a parent, my heart is warmed to see our child have something she loves so much and feels so proud of. I know that there may be future times where she wants to stop, and I’m not sure how we’ll handle those. I know there may be other things our kids ask to stop and never want to return to (even if they’re the things we, parents, really love). But, ultimately, I know these are their journeys to live. And as much as my over-thinking, worrying mind likes to interfere, I know at some point I just have to trust that their Life journeys will unfold exactly as they’re supposed to. In the meantime though, I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the dancing.