Claire, The Ballerina

One of the benefits of having an older sister who is a bonafide ballerina is that when you're the little sister, you know exactly what you want to be when you grow up...

Or when you turn three...

Whichever comes first.

And thank goodness that this morning finally came, because you have literally been waiting your whole life for this day to arrive.

You laid out your skirt leotard two days prior and asked yesterday if it was tomorrow, because you just wanted 9:15am on Tuesday morning to be right now.

You insisted that we descend on the studio a solid 20 minutes early, so that we had enough time to prepare (essentially, take your shoes off and go potty) because this whole ballet business is very serious and really important.

And then, as the beautiful instructor approached, you and six other ballerinas entered the coveted room complete with a real live pianist, a ballet bar, scarves, and lots of mirrors.

You beamed so brightly, I thought you would burst...but the real joy came in watching as you lept across the room, arabesqued, pointed your toes, and courtsied in gratitude for your lesson.

Thirty minutes later, you came bounding into my arms and said, "That was just great, mama...I mean, really great."

And a little piece of my heart melted.  You're growing up.  Parts of your dreams are coming true.

And I suppose, as we both gain a little more freedom in our lives, we're both growing and learning to let go, so that new parts of our souls can emerge.

So thankful to be with you while you gained your twinkle toes.  There's nothing more sweet in the world.