Supporting me through the year

I just want to say that I am thankful for my parents.

Getting ready for my dance studio's recital this past weekend, I heard some girls say that their parents weren't coming. One girl is a senior and said her dad wasn't coming - and she didn't mind. (I doubt that). Another was a junior in high school. Her mom was supposed to join her for a mother-daughter dance, and she said her mom refused to come.

They acted like it wasn't that big of a deal and brushed it off, but I know it had to hurt.

However, that just made me realize how blessed I am. My parents sat through years and years of dance recitals, from kindergarten through my senior year of high school.

They attended dance performances at my college six hours away from home.

When I got a full-time job and started teaching dance on the side, they have been to all but one of my recitals. And one of them I wasn't even in, they just came to see the work I had done.

With each recital about three hours long - and some at my studio growing up even longer - that's a lot of hours of dance that my parents have sat through just to support me.

That's not even to mention the softball games, basketball games and volleyball games I played in through the years, the sports games that I cheered at, the plays I was in, the mock trial competitions they came to, the games that I danced at, the concerts I sang in, the concerts I played percussion in...the list goes on and on.

There might have been a few things one or both of my parents had to miss, but it was a rare occasion that they weren't there cheering me on.

And they have never complained. I have never heard that they were bored or tired or didn't want to go. All I have ever heard is "Good job," "you were beautiful," "we're so proud of you," and this year, "You're still our star."

It could make me cry thinking about how wonderful I had it and still have it. If only I can someday live up to the beautiful example of parenthood that my parents have given me.

I also want to give a shout-out to my wonderful husband who has also sat through numerous dance recitals as well :) What a good man!