Abigail ballerina

When you were just a newborn, your dad would talk about you taking your first hockey lesson, and I told him I couldn't wait for you to take dance. He insisted you wouldn't take dance. It was going to be all about hockey.

Then one day he went to get us some coffee at Tim Hortons came home and said to me "okay, I guess she can take ballet." Turns out there was a little girl at Tim Hortons, probably about the same age then that you are right now, dressed up for her dance class, doing twirls for her daddy as they waited in line. Good thing he got on board early. You didn't give us much of a choice.

You have always loved dance. Watching it on TV, dressing up in a tutu, twirling around the living room, you love dance. In fact, the best way to guarantee we get out of the house is with the promise of a tutu, which you promptly put on, and then do a little pirouette.

We have wanted to have you enrolled in dance as soon as possible, but there aren't any city programs that will take a 2.5 year old. Thankfully, one of the best dance schools in the city is located just up the street from us.

You started last week. You were all dressed up in your pink tights, pink leotard, pink ballet shoes, hair pulled tightly back, and raring to go. But the class was an epic failure. Your teachers, Miss Nicole and Miss Stephanie, tried so hard to make you feel comfortable but all of the kids had already taken at least one class and didn't seem fazed. You cried the whole time, and looked at me through the window crying "mommy!" You broke my heart. I thought you'd LOVE dance class!

It's not that you didn't want to dance. It's just that it was a new experience for you and maybe we didn't prepare you enough for the fact you'd be in there by yourself with all new people.

We could have called it quits. We could have said you were too young and not ready. We could have said we gave it one shot, it failed, we're done. But we didn't. Because we know it's good for you. And we know you'll love it. We want you to try new things and push yourself and go out of your comfort zone to discover the world and things that maybe, if left to your own devices, you otherwise wouldn't. 

Your dad and I talked and decided to give it another few weeks. If you really hated it then we wouldn't force it.

But today, it was a whole new world. Your daddy took you and you went right in and participated in and loved the whole class. He called to tell me and I got so excited for you. You came home in such a great mood. You showed me the new moves you learned in class. You were so happy.

I think it speaks volumes about you, that you'll go back to something that didn't go well the first time, and not only try it again, but tackle it and master it. I'm so proud of you and excited for you that you gave it a chance. And that you were able to, so quickly, adjust to something new and seemingly daunting. 

I'm so happy that your dad and I gave you the chance to try something new and out of your comfort zone, and I'm glad that we gave you the credit you so obviously deserved. You love dance. And now you love dance class. 

Twirl on Abigail.