MAGIC

LAST NIGHT WAS MAGICAL. ALL MY WORRYING WAS IN VAIN.

THE OBLIGATION TO HOST ARTWORKS FOR KIDS! AT MY SCHOOL, WITH MY STUDENTS, MY CHOREOGRAPHY, AND MY NAME AND JOB ON THE LINE HAD ME IN A TIZZY. STRESS HEADACHES ABOUNDED AND I FELT CAUGHT IN SLOW MOTION WAITING FOR THE NIGHT TO FINALLY COME:
NOVEMBER 17TH, 7:00 PM.
IT CAME. IT WENT. AND IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE.

MY HEART SOARED AND MY FACE BEAMED AS I WATCHED FOCUSED FIFTH GRADERS, SUPER-CHARGED FIRST GRADERS, TRYING SO HARD TO BE COOL AND NOT SMILE THIRD GRADERS, VISIONARY FOURTH GRADERS, PATRIOTIC SECOND GRADERS, AND SATISFIED SIXTH GRADERS, ALL PROUDLY PERFORM THEIR DANCERS ON OUR SCHOOL'S SMALL STAGE.
SENATORS AND DONORS, LEGISLATORS AND MENTORS, PARENTS AND KIDS CAME TO SUPPORT AND PROVIDED THE MOST WELL ATTENDED ARTWORKS FOR KIDS! NIGHT YET.
THE ENERGY IN THE ROOM WAS ELECTRIC AND I WAS ABOUT TO LOSE MY MIND FROM THE ANTICIPATION.

NO PHOTOGRAPHS ON MY CAMERA WERE CAPTURED BECAUSE I WAS BUSY HAND-SIGNALING KIDS TO REACH THIS WAY, SLIDE THAT WAY, SCOOT UP ONTO THE LINE OF STRAIGHT RED-TAPE, AND GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE CURTAIN BEFORE IT ENGULFED THEM AS IT CLOSED.
HOWEVER, I HAD PREVIOUSLY TOUGH-ARMED EACH TEACHER IN THE SCHOOL TO PROVIDE ARTWORK FOR THE HALL OUTSIDE THAT WENT WITH THE, "KIDS ACROSS AMERICA" THEME. THE WORK WAS SPECTACULAR AND CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE AMBIANCE OF THE EVENING AND TO THE PALPABLE HAPPINESS OF THE DANCING KIDS HERE AT CEDAR RIDGE.

I BOWED WITH THE KIDS AT THE END AND WAS HANDED A FRESH BOUQUET OF PEACH-HUED ROSES WITH A CARD SIGNED FROM EACH PERFORMER. I WAS A PROUD MAMA OF 250 LAST NIGHT.
PURE ELATION.