I smiled as I sat in the dark auditorium and watched high school students from all over our region file in, clad in choir attire. It was the District Concert Choir performance. Hillary had practiced for weeks. Her effort was rewarded when she was chosen for Honor Choir, which is the higher of the two groups. And now, they stood straight and smiling, music in hand, beaming with anticipation. They sang an upbeat "Jubilant Song", impressed us with various vocalizations and harmonies in "Alleluia from Songs of Faith", made us wistful with "Set Me As a Seal Upon Your Heart", and rocked our souls with their rendition of "Daniel in the Lion Den." The crowd responded with a standing ovation. Then it was over and we all gathered around our choir directors to find out which students had been chosen to participate in All State Choir. Our choir director spoke softly and I couldn't hear what was being said... then whoops and hugs...and one of our girls had been chosen! Hillary leaped to hug her friend, her own face flushed with excitement and happiness that someone from her school had been chosen. But the director had more to say. Hillary had been chosen as the alternate alto! And Hillary whooped again and smiled all over herself. Even though it means she will have to attend every practice...learn every word...with no promise of being in the actual performance, she was so happy just to have been considered. I was happy too. And proud.
We followed the director to a back room where all the parents were given the specifics of official paperwork. Right beside me, a girl from another school was changing angrily from her singing clothes into her jeans. "I'm second!" she hissed at her mother. "Alternate means second! That's all. Who wants to be second best?" Her mother seemed angry and embarrassed. As she should be. What a contrast to Hillary's reaction. My heart swelled with pride in who my daughter was. I am thankful for her pure heart. Her maturity. Her positive personality.
In the song that is my life, she is a joyful note.
3 comments:
She is her parents child :)We are proud to be her grandparents.
Love-Sheila
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. MOM
just shows that you raised her with grace... good job parents!!
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