Life can get tiring…
I pull her hair gently up off her face and it blows my mind that she’s already nine years old and going to her first dance…with her dad.
The last few weeks race through my head as I take in this moment that’s in front of me.
A couple of weeks ago we got the flyer from school about the daddy/daughter dance coming up. By the end of the year the sight of another fundraiser seems like the straw that made everything tumble to the ground…and so I just gave it one glance and made the instant ‘no’ decision. I’ve given lots of money all year. I draw the line in the sand, right here. Right now.
I was feeling tired out. I’d been working on my workshop non-stop. My life felt like was feeling like an endless cycle of waking up, getting kids off to school, working on my workshop, going to bed and doing it all again the next day. Somewhere in the middle of the haze I would eat, go to the bathroom, answer the kids’ questions, and hear my thoughtful husband making dinner in the kitchen.
Mike and I talked about the daddy/daughter dance and he was tired, too. He has been trying to buy a 2nd car for work and dealing with about 101 other things.
We were both tired. We looked and each other, no words passed between us, our eyes said it all: Let’s not do this dance thing.
Instead of the dance leaving my mind, the next day I suddenly had a vision of how much Grace would love it, the individual attention with Mike, the dancing she would do, the spontaneous laughter through out the night, the chat over dinner. I knew that there were more great reasons to say yes…even though we were feeling exhausted. Life seemed to have a list of things clamoring for our attention but this thing, a daddy/daughter dance, was important.
We sent the money to school…
And then promptly forgot about it until this week.
I’ve watched Grace light up every time it’s brought up. She can’t stop talking about her dance date with Dad.
I mentioned that we should go shopping for a dress and every day after school she’s said, “Can we go shop for my dress, please? please?”
This is my part of the event. Taking just her to find the perfect dress.
Walking down aisles and through dresses Grace knew immediately which dress she loved the most. Confident in her decision and beaming, shoes were our next stop. She held my hand as we walked from store to car. As soon as we entered the store she was a grown up making choices and couldn’t be seen holding my hand. This girl knows the way things should be. She knows herself. There’s no convincing her that it should be another way or changing her mind once it’s made up.
Last night, Mike and I talked during our rescheduled date (since he will be out with Grace tomorrow night) about his date night with Miss Grace. Within minutes we decided that it would be fun for Mike to get her a corsage before heading to a fancy-ish dinner. He would surprise her with the evening being so much more than just the dance she was planning on.
The corsage has been pinned to her dress and the boutonniere to his lapel.
I watched her hold his hand to the car and him open the door for her as she stepped in. As they drove away, laughing together, to the daddy/daughter dance, I’m so happy, even though it’s been feeling like we are running to catch up, we made space for magic to happen.
When have you made time for magic?
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4 Comments
Love this 🙂 It’s true… sometimes we get so exhausted that magical moments seem like too much to make happen. So glad you followed the promptings to do it anyway. It will be a magical memory for her her whole life 🙂
Brooke, I agree. Life can get busy and hectic and crazy and without realizing it, it can be easy to succumb to not feeling those magical feelings that make life fun and exciting. Those moments of magic grant us a bit of mercy and help to keep love alive and they help us to create our own happiness amid chaos.
oh my gosh! simply divine.
so happy for Grace and her daddy xx
I love that word, Renee. Divine, it was!