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| Off to Ryan's first belly dancing performance last Saturday |
Not me particulary, which is unfortunate. But using it as a lesson in compromise.
She hated her art class. Absolutely hated it. Hated ballet back in Germany. Both teachers found her amazingly talented. They pushed her to continue. They had high expectations. And they both had very certain, direct, fast ways of doing things. The correct ways of doing things.
Her flute teacher just loves the music as much as Ryan does. They have fun. There are no expectations, just an understanding and a shared passion.
Her belly dance / gypsy dance group is the same way. There is no correct way to do it, just a desire to dance with your soul. (The group is called Soul Dance).
Friggin' hippies.
Needless to say we fit right in.
Ryan's swim coach has also worked with us to encourage Ryan to swim regularly without pushing her into hating it. Ryan isn't a fan of the pool. "I'm swimming as slow as I can," she tells me. "And Coach still tells me I have talent."
There has to be a reason God gave a child all this ability and no desire to use it, right?
Just like the cross-country finals when I showed up with Andrew and the teacher asked me why I hadn't also brought Ryan. She'd apparently qualified as well.
"They made me do it in gym class," she later told me, " but I really saw no reason to do it AGAIN!"
Not without a horse anyway!
Ryan is now training and riding with another friend of ours twice a week. Charmaine also has a gentle spirit. And is willing to trade me my 13 year old daughter for her 3 year old son for a few hours a week while they work with the horses.
Ryan's teachers in Germany really saw nothing to like. Thank you to her teachers here - Christin and Liz at school, Gretchen on flute, Margaret with dance and, of course Charmaine, on horseback and off.
You are my daughter's community.
And my teachers - and friends - as well.
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