"Que Sera, Sera"

I REMEMBER MY MOTHER SINGING A SWEET LITTLE SONG TO ME AS A CHILD.

"When I was just a little girl

I asked my mother, what will I be?

Will I be pretty, will I be rich

Here's what she said to me.

Que Sera, Sera,Whatever will be, will be

The future's not ours, to see

Que Sera, Sera"

AND NOW, I HAVE A LITTLE GIRL OF MY OWN AND I STARE AT HER IN AMAZEMENT WONDERING WHAT SHE WILL BE WHEN SHE IS OLDER.

I TRULY LOVE OBSERVING MY CHILD IN A GROUP OF OTHER CHILDREN AS I GAIN A MORE ACCURATE SENSE OF HER PERSONALITY. WE HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN HER TO BE A BOLD, OUTSPOKEN LITTLE LADY WITH STRONG NATURAL CHARISMA AND HEARTY CURIOSITY FOR LIFE. BUT, TO SEE HER AMONG HER PEERS THESE TRAITS BECOME MAGNIFIED RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES. (I REALIZE THIS MAY COME ACROSS AS PARENTAL BOASTING. YOU MUST GRACIOUSLY GRANT ME THIS PRIVILEGE AS IT IS OUR FAMLY BLOG.)

THIS MORNING AT BALLET CLASS I BEHELD SUCH A SIGHT THAT MADE ME SMILE, CHUCKLE WITHIN, AND FILLED ME WITH WARM MOTHERLY PRIDE. CHARLOTTE'S WEEKLY BALLET CLASS CONSISTS OF FOUR SWEET LITTLE INDIVIDUALS, 3 GIRLS AND 1 (BLESS HIS HEART) BOY. IT IS THE PERFECT SAMPLING OF CHILDREN AS EACH ONE COULD BE STRATEGICALLY PLACED ON A SCALE OF SHY/TIMID TO OUTSPOKEN/BOLD. A SWEET MIX, INDEED.

TODAY HER INSTRUCTOR WAS ATTEMPTING TO TEACH BODY MOVEMENT THROUGH LINES - STRAIGHT, CURVY, AND JAGGED. DURING ONE PART OF THE LESSON, SHE TOOK OUT A PILE OF CUT OUT SHAPES. HER OBJECTIVE WAS TO HOLD A SHAPE UP AND HAVE THE CHILDREN CREATE THE SHAPE WITH THEIR BODIES. EASIER SAID THAN DONE (FOR THIS POOR TEACHER). AS SOON AS THE SHAPES WERE BROUGHT OUT, TWO LITTLE PUPILS MADE A B-LINE FOR THEM. IT WAS A COMICAL SIGHT TO OBSERVE THE TWO CHILDREN GRASPING AT BOTH THE TEACHER AND SHAPES IN AN ATTEMPT TO TAKE OVER THE LESSON. AT ONE POINT THE TEACHER WAS UP ON HER GRACEFUL TIP-TOES CLUTCHING THE SHAPES WITH GIGGLES (AND SIGHS) OF EXASPERATION. YOU CAN GUESS WHO ONE OF THE PUPILS WAS...

OUR CHARLOTTE.

OF COURSE, I STEPPED IN (AS DID THE OTHER MOTHER) BUT OUR GIRLS PERSISTED. IT WAS NOT OUT OF DISOBEDIENCE, BUT OUT OF A TRUE (AND SOMEWHAT FIERCE) DESIRE TO HELP AND TO LEAD. I THINK I EVEN MUTTERED, "YES! THESE TWO ARE THE FUTURE TEACHERS OF AMERICA" AS I TOOK MY DAUGHTER'S HAND AND BROUGHT HER BACK TO HER APPROPRIATE PLACE ON THE FLOOR.

COULD IT BE?

COULD IT BE THAT WHAT APPEARS AT TIMES TO BE A STUBBORN, OUTSPOKEN, BOLD, AND FIERCELY INDEPENDENT TODDLER IS THE MAKINGS OF A FUTURE LEADER? I WOULD LIKE TO THINK SO, ESPECIALLY ON THE DAYS WHEN SAID TODDLER EXHAUSTS ME BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY. I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE SO WHEN SAID TODDLER ALREADY IS ATTEMPTING TO TEACH HER BROTHER THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE BY PULLING OUT HIS PACIFIER, LEANING INTO HIS FACE PROMPTING HIM WITH, "CAN YOU SAY..." BUT, ULTIMATELY I PRAY THAT IT IS SO. I PRAY THAT THE LORD USES MY LIL' MISS FIRECRACKER IN WAYS THAT SURPRISE EVEN ME FOR THE SAKE OF HIS GLORY AND KINGDOM.