Okay. Tonight we are taking a trip down daddy lane. Our daughter is the one who taught me a lesson today. I have been smiling about it all the way home and throughout the night. It caused me to ensure that I changed up a little bit at home, and it makes me look forward to what else she will teach me. For a person still in the single digits, it is wonderful to learn things from her. I loved being in the classroom and seeing what my students could teach me, and now my wife’s mini-me does the same.
As a second grade student, our daughter must do like every other student. She gets up early in the morning. She has her daily morning routine to get ready. When she drags her feet, she gets pushed to get moving. She then spends the day in a classroom. While they have recess, and lunch, she is stuck in a classroom unable to be free. For some children this is fine. Our daughter does a good job of going in learning and being a student, but she is a free spirit. Tonight I got to see her spirit fly.
Once a week she goes to her dance class. She is part of a class called Triple Threat. The girls study dancing, singing, and acting. They are preparing for the upcoming recital that will take place at the end of their year. Our little one loves being up there and performing. I can still remember the first year she performed. Her teacher had been caught off guard when the class went on stage. A certain little girl took it upon herself to get everyone in their spots and give the sign to start the music.
Now I am about to break Daddy code here. Our daughter loves to dance and dance a lot she does. However, she does not always stay on beat. She starts off hearing the beat in the music and then eventually her own drum takes over. I am supposed to say that she is the best dancer ever, but Ginger Roger’s legacy is safe. Just the same, I love watching her dance. She is truly happy and floating in a different world.
Tonight was different. Tonight was magical. Tonight I saw something different. Normally at her dance studio, they have a television going in the lobby that shows the different rooms. It switches between the active rooms. Normally, without fail, our daughter’s class shows up and just as she is about to do a move or position, the television changes to the other class. I get a chance to see her in action every once in a while. While it is nice to see her flit across the screen, the flat panel can only give you so much. Tonight, the door to her room was left open, and due to a crowded lobby, I stood in a corner opposite the door.
I pushed myself deeper into the corner so that if she glanced out the door, she would have to concentrate to find me. I didn’t think she would take the time to do such a thing especially since I am not the one that is normally at dance with her. By standing there, I saw both our little one as well as her reflection in the mirror. That is when I saw her freedom, her spirit, her joy, and her happiness.
I love the school that she attends. While the teacher works with the students to help them improve at their dance, they are not rigid about it. Yes, she corrects them, but it is not the way that you see in films depicting the stricter school. She does not stand in the center of the room with a staff pounding it on the floor, shouting “Again.” This teacher lets them go through the routine and then makes simple corrections. She does not make the class one that the students fear or hate to attend. She sees their love of dance and nurtures it. I am not sure about the rest of the girls, but I know that unless something changes internally for our daughter, this is just for pure fun and enjoyment.
By being able to see her reflection in the mirror, I could see her eyes. The lit up with excitement. When the music stopped, and the teacher stopped to work with one child or another, she danced. There was no music playing, but she heard something and she moved to it. It was beautiful. I saw her spin and pirouette. I saw the day run out of her. She let all of the mundane part of the day drain away. With each movement, she became lighter on her feet. Her smile grew to a point that it was three times larger than any smile before. She was uninhibited. The world and any problems that an eight year old might hold no longer matter.
Yes, I did see her struggle with a few of the moves required for the routine. I saw her be corrected on her spins. None of that mattered. She took her notes and tried again. Sometimes it improved, sometimes it didn’t. Her laughter never changed. She worried about nothing. She was in a safe place to let all go, and she did.
That was the lesson I walked away with. LET IT GO. All too often adults hold on to the stress and frustrations of the day. We leave work, but all of the issues of the day go home with us. Yesterday, late in the evening, I posted about how bad of a day I had. I could not let it go. Today, our daughter showed me how silly that was. She taught me to dance. Dance with or without the music. Don’t hold the day in, dance it away.
With that in mind, I crawled down on the floor with her tonight once we were home. We played, we laughed, we let it go. I am going to do that more often. I am going leave the problems of work at work. I will work hard to come home to my wife and child without the drudgery of work. It will not be perfect for often my wife and I need to get things out of our system. However, we can limit it. While we may not physically dance (maybe we will) we will spiritually dance. I will work to bring more happiness into my home.
So tonight, I am dancing down the road. Thank you for dancing along with me.