"There are shortcuts to happiness and dancing is one of them."
Finally.
She'd waited patiently since December 25, when Santa Claus gave her a little gift box with that pink uniform. But it was such a long wait.
And at last, it was time to become a ballerina.
She slipped on her tiny leotard and tights, and pink leather shoes like a real ballerina wears.
I whisked her thin hair up into a little knot of a bun. As I swept up a section here and there, gathering it into my hands, it seemed as if every movement made her a little older. As if she was growing up three times as fast this morning.
And yet, when we arrived and she stepped into line in that chilly studio, she found herself the smallest of the other girls, despite being so tall. They must have been the four year olds. But Millie held her own.
After we pinned on the name tag to the front of her uniform, she tried chatting with nearly every student, even though most were too shy to respond. She shook the teacher's hand, and giggled to me once she had. After all, it was like meeting a celebrity. A real ballerina.
The class began, and I could only watch through a little window crowded with other parents. Every few minutes, she would remember I was there, turning to give me a big wave and a smile. It's the kind of moment I imagined the first time I held her. I just didn't imagine such a small gesture could make me cry.
I watched her stretch and spin, skip and clap, and take a big bow with the rest of the class.
My heart was bursting through it all.
She was a miniature Degas painting, twirling in pastels.
I write so much about her brother. But this special day was Millie's day.
I want to remember that time won't stop for her, either. To remember that she's still little and to treasure it while I can. I want to celebrate her. To encourage her. To show her grace. To find the grace in her.
And to be proud of this little girl in pink- the one with the impish grin and the hand waving desperately for the teacher's attention.
And to be so grateful she belongs to me.
17 kind comments from you:
So, so, so sweet. I am so happy she had a fabulous time! What a milestone :)
She is soooooooooo adorable in all these pictures. I hope she loves dancing as much as you'll love watching her.
She's is SO adorable!!! Is it bad that I cried reading this? Probably. Don't care. She's so cute!!
This made me cry. Millie seems like the kind of kid who will have some trouble with the lack of talking (At the ripe old age of 3 I was asked to leave class many times...and it is something I'm still working on!) but goodness I hope she enjoys dance class! It's hard and sometimes silly but it is such a pure form of expression that everyone in the world is capable of that I always hope those who find themselves in the dance world never leave it. I know it's not for everyone though and Millie is just starting but my hope for her is the hope I have for all the littles and teens I teach- to love dance as much as I do. Also, if you ever have any questions about anything dance class related, I know a thing or two ;)
Love the photos! Thank you for sharing!
Awe.. She is so darn cute. I'm glad she had fun and wasnt shy at all. Go Millie!
Sweet thing! I totally teared up reading this. A big improvement over that time I first left Sam in the church nursery and bawled my eyes out in the bathroom. I am so torn these days over "Hurry up and poop on the potty already FOR THE LOVE" and "aw, please don't ever say Molly's name the right way! Stay this cute and little forever!" I am feeling borderline crazy doing this whole mom thing.
This brought tears to my eyes because I'm imagining doing the same thing with Penny! It's SO special to watch them grow and start new things.
What a sweet memory - that first dance class! So glad she enjoyed her day!
her face is SO lovely in these photos. what a sweet, big girl!
Oh my gosh, this is absolutely adorable!
Her little face! You can tell she was in complete heaven.
Oh my heavens.
So I didn't have a chance to comment yesterday on this, but I LOVE this post. And I love that she's dancing. And I love that you documented it like this. I'm so proud of her for being in her first dance class, as a dance teacher, that first year of classes is magical and it's so amazing to watch young children bloom and flourish in dancing. I'm SO happy that you were able to find a class to put her in :) Also, I'm going to do a bun tutorial for my blog soon :)
So adorable!
Beautiful pictures. What an exciting and happy time for her. :)
- Karen
Stop makin' me cry! She looks like she really enjoyed herself. They grow so fast.
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