You Can Go Your Own Way

Meghan had a ballet recital this weekend.  The opening act danced to Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac.  As the older dancers moved across the stage to those iconic words, I couldn’t help but think about how sure I was Meghan wouldn’t be dancing this year.

Well before her first recital last year, Tim and I decided we’d had enough of this dance business.  The 9 month commitment to perform a 3-minute number.  The expense of it all:  shoes, tights, leotards, monthly tuition, costume fees, recital fees.  It never seemed to end.  When we got a three-page letter about the recital and all it entailed, we thought: This is it.  No more dance.  

Then we saw her face after her first recital performance. After she exited the stage, we rushed out to meet her in the hallway.  She was at the end of a long corridor, and ran towards us full speed.  It was as if pure adrenalin had taken over her four-year-old body.  Her face was full of joy and it was the happiest I remember seeing her, and she’s a girl who’s always pretty happy.  We learned that not only did she love dancing, she loved performing.

Right then and there I knew this dance business wasn’t over.

We put Meghan in dance because as a small toddler she loved dancing around our living room.  In soccer at age three, she mostly danced up and down the field.  She seemed to dance wherever she went, so it was a logical choice to let her try a ballet class.

I wondered if she’d get bored of it this year.  Instead, her love of dance only grew stronger. If you asked her today what she wants to be when she grows up, she’d answer:  a dancer.  

It’s hard for me to imagine her being a serious dancer.  The costumes, the make-up, it’s all so not…me.  Oops.  I guess this isn’t about me, is it?

I don’t know how long Meghan will continue with dance.  Maybe it will be 2 more years, or maybe it will be 20.  I’m enjoying the process of watching her develop her own passions. Maybe they’ll change.  She’s only 5.  Either way, they are her passions.

Whether it be dance, music, soccer, or juggling, Meghan, you can go your own way.  And Daddy, Luke, and I will be right by your side, cheering you on.