I went to watch Daniel compete in the DanceSport Championships in
March. I love watching dancing. For one thing, it is exercise set to music,
and everything is better set to music, don’t you agree? Ballroom is exercise with another
person. That is also a wonderful
thing. But dance is more: it is graceful, energetic and beautiful. The other delicious thing was that I took
time off from my job in the middle of the day to go watch the individual
competition. Even if you love your job,
it is fun to take time off, when you usually don’t expect to have time off.
As I was watching Daniel and his partner, Miranda, dance, I could not
have felt happier. Daniel loves to dance. It didn’t matter to me that he and Miranda were not
going to win first place; they were doing their best and they were happy. Dancers and spectators shared a love of life,
of creativity.
Maybe Heavenly Father feels like I do.
He just wants us to do our best and to be happy. Is Daniel a lot better dancer than he was two
or three years ago? Absolutely! Will he be even better in two years if he
keeps practicing? Absolutely! Will he have even more joy in his dancing
then? Absolutely! Will I have more joy in watching him? I don’t know.
I was totally happy that day at
that time. I will be happy again when he
gets to his new place.
As a parent I feel great joy to see where my children are now. I went with Kate to a voice competition. I am so happy to hear Kate sing. Her voice has improved so much in the past
two years. On the other hand, I also
felt great joy hearing her sing when she was four, or eight, or twelve. I felt
amazing joy at Elise’s first step at ten months of age, and when seven year old
Tom borrowed Farmer Boy and finished it on his own. I felt joy when Arwen graduated with her
Master’s degree, and when Jani got her private pilot certificate, and when
Joanie gave her senior recital and ever so many quiet and ordinary moments when
my children have done good things. When my
children do their best in ordinary and extraordinary ways, they fill the
measure of their creation, and the heavens and I rejoice.
