Proud Mama

I'm so proud of Katelyn.

From the time she was a toddler, she and I have loved to sit down on the piano bench and play and sing together. Some of our early favorites were "When Somebody Loved Me" (Jessie's song from the Toy Story 2 Soundtrack), "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" (Sally DeFord), and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

When Katelyn was in first grade, her elementary school had a talent show. She decided to sing the Jessie song. We borrowed a cute Jessie costume from a friend, and Katelyn looked and sounded purely sweet and adorable. She auditioned with no fear. I was impressed.

On the day of the talent show, I sat towards the front of the school auditorium, ready to film Katelyn's song. I could tell she was pretty nervous in front of that crowd. After she had been introduced, she held the microphone and waited for her music to start....and waited....staring at the silent audience, which was staring right back at her, also waiting...

So she decided to just start singing, without her music. The show must go on! But after she got about two words out, the poor little elementary student techies finally got the music started.

Poor little Katelyn was getting a little flustered!

She waited through the intro, and then started to sing her song again. But as she sang, I could see her big nervous eyes looking at me, as if to say, "Help! Get me out of here!" I could see the tears welling. I smiled big, and nodded my head, encouraging her to keep going. Which she did. Until, in the middle of the song, those poor kids who were running the sound thought the song had ended, when really it was just a bridge to the final verse. So, without completing the song, the music ended, and Katelyn received applause, and left the stage.

She came and sat on my lap, and just shook. I was so proud of her, and so heart-broken! I felt awful that it hadn't been a good experience for her. I worried that we had ruined her for life, and that she would never want to sing for anyone again.

Until recently.

Katelyn got her confidence back, and I'm so happy and proud.

Yesterday was her junior high school orientation. She needed to choose electives. There were several good options to pick from, but Katelyn decided (to my happy surprise) to audition for the select choir. About an hour before the audition, I ran through her audition piece with her at home: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." I told her not to be nervous.

I think I was more nervous than she was--unnecessarily, because she did great! And she made the cut! The choir is made up of 90 girls, mostly 8th and 9th graders, with a few 7th graders. I am so excited that Katelyn will have this opportunity, and so proud of her, for this, as well as many other things. She's an incredible girl.