Well-Rounded

I was a junior in high school when I performed in my first and only ensemble at a solo and ensemble event for band.

I was in a flute quintet. We played The Entertainer. It was awesome and so much fun and I wished then that I’d started competing earlier in my band life.

This past weekend, Alyssa and two other classmates performed in a flute trio. They received a superior rating of 1 for their performance. That’s the best rating you can get. I was so proud of her and her classmates. They worked hard and were very well prepared for the performance.

I wish I could take the confidence Lyss has when she’s playing the flute and bottle a little of it to give back to her for when she’s about to run a race in track.

To give her credit, I have to admit that Alyssa’s confidence with her flute is well-earned. She practices a lot. She plays her flute way more than she runs. And that’s okay. Music is important to her.

But watching her on Saturday, first practicing with her classmates and then as they performed for the judge, I found myself amazed at how grounded she was, how confidently she stood there waiting for the judge to tell them they could begin.

My child, this girl who should be four years old, stood tall and proud as she and her friends began to make music. It was beautiful, both the moment and the music.

I thought about watching her run, knowing she wasn’t enjoying the run nearly as much as she enjoys making music and I realized again how mature she is, how well-rounded she is. She’s willing to do things she doesn’t necessarily enjoy because she’s a part of the track team and while she knows she isn’t the best runner there, she’ll out there anyway, trying, doing her best.

I hope she’ll always put herself out there, learning new things even as she embraces the things she’s obviously good at and continues to improve herself. She inspires me to try harder and learn new things.

When did my little girl become my inspiration?