Leaping Forward

Over the weekend, Finn had the opportunity to Facetime with his very good friend from back in Champaign. It was adorable; they laughed and told stories and Finn walked all around the house showing her where he has been staying. She filled him in on Nutcracker auditions which had happened the day before, and he asked dozens of questions about life at his former school.

Somehow Finn remembered that the Nutcracker cast list was going to be posted online on Wednesday night, and when he woke up this morning, he immediately asked if he could look at it. He spent the next twenty minutes poring over the six page PDF, commenting on friends who had moved into bigger roles, looking for friends he remembers from previous productions. I watched him as I toasted waffles and poured juice, wondering what was going on in that head of his. While Finn had a love/hate relationship with attending ballet class, he loved being a part of The Nutcracker these last three years, and I know that leaving that has been on his mind.

Finally I asked, "You okay?"

"I'm excited for my friends. But I'm a little sad that I can't be in it this year."

Not ten seconds later, he asked me if he could practice the monologue for his audition at Grandstreet this weekend, and for the next twenty minutes he did just that.

I could learn a lot from this kid. In the face of sadness and a feeling of loss, he turned his attention to something new, something exciting, and moved forward. If he is successful at his audition, he will have the opportunity to be a part of a musical here in Helena, to meet new friends, to perform on stage in a different way than he did as a ballet dancer. He will take with him all that he learned; focus, poise, determination, strength. One experience does not replace the other, but I'm pretty proud of his resiliency and willingness to try something new. I can't wait to see him shine.