With A Song In My Heart...

[Gala The Word Wench]

Ahem.
Cough.
My daughter will be singing a solo in her school's Spring Concert.

So what?
How nice...but many children will in fact sing, and their parents will be proud too.

I know.
But I also know that despite the fact that Desi loves music, my daughter NEVER SANG. She mouthed the words, and tried to seem invisible...but Desi never sang a note. With me should would...sometimes. Shameless Momma singing at the top of her lungs in the car...and if people stared at traffic lights? So what...

But in front of people? Nope. She was not opening her mouth.

In part, it was the speech thing---Desi has a form of speech dyspraxia that can make her hard to understand sometimes...at one point, we couldn't get her to TALK...so forget about singing.

A few weeks ago, she brought home a tape. What's this Desi? "Oh Mr. Burns wanted me to record my song."
So casual...and then she put it in my walkman for me to listen to...Desi...singing?

Thud.
The fact that she wrote a song did not amaze me. The kid has a flair for words---is killer with haiku and other forms. But my daughter was singing. HUGE breakthrough.

A week later, she came home with a thoughtful expression.

"Mr Burns wants me to sing my song for the Spring concert..."

Oh yikes.
You'd have to know my kid. To her, that was like someone asking her to go t o school naked. Now being Desi's mom has taught me a lot about the "hands off" school of parenting. You don't give a child confidence by pressuring them, not my kid at least. So I asked her how she felt about it. She said she wasn't sure...she would think about it.

A week later, she told me she decided. She was going to do it.

HAPPY DAY!...but reel it in Momma...no pressure...no expectations. Just glad she made her own decision.

Today I wrote to Mr. Burns. I thanked him for giving my daughter music---in a way unique to her. I thanked him for being smart enough to know that once Desi had a song, she would not be able to keep herself from singing it. I thanked him for being the Miracle Max of Music...and asked him to forgive me if on concert day, I forget to thank him, and sit there and cry my heart out...happy tears---have no doubt.

So yes, this is a boast thread.
My daughter will sing her first solo---one I never in a million years dreamed I'd hear. No. she won't be Celine Dion. Sony will not be waiting with a contract...but Desiree will sing...and Momma will never forget it!


You GO, Desi....you go!

[Kamikaze]

GO DESI!

Aww, Gala, this is a big thing for you. I remember my first song solo... believe me, I went through the whole, "I will do it!" and "I won't do it!" thing. Desi may change her mind once or twice, and then change her mind back again. But that is normal. This is a big thing. Especially since it's her own song!

But heck Gala, you have every right to boast! Desi will do you so proud, I know. As for not being Celine Dion or getting handed a recording contract... maybe not, but as long as Desi enjoys it, then does that really matter?

[Gala The Word Wench]

I'm just so pleased that she will do this...thanks Kami!