Just sing, sing a song.

I just spent the day at KC NATS Competition with Taylor, she had 4 songs that she has been working on. This is our first year and neither one of us was really sure what was going to happen. She doesn't work well in hos situations. So in true teenage girl style,  this morning was full of drama and enough crying, screaming and emotional meltdowns to send me over the edge. What it is about  teenagers? Frankly, it was a full on mess; it ended with her screaming at me that she didn’t even want me to go, and I was thinking “fine you little queen I don’t want to go, anyway because you are a BASKET CASE! Seriously, I had had it!

By the time we finally made it to the competition, however, you wouldn't have known that she hated my guts a mere 3 hours earlier. Taylor started off strong; first with a German song I have no idea what it was about but it was beautiful. The next song was an English song started right on pitch in her perfect vibrato. Trouble started before she even finished the first verse; it was apparent the lyrics were gone, she had no idea what was coming next. A melt down was coming,  I knew it and I braced for it. But instead, she gave me a look a panic and then calmly, as she could, asked the judges if she could start over. Doom was looming, I could feel it in the air; her breathing was off and she was on the verge of tears. She took a deep breath and started over a little shaky..visibly upset..and forgot the words again. In the split second  she looked at me pleading I gave her a thumbs up and mouthed..JUST KEEP Singing! And she DID, I couldn't believe it.  She shook it off the best she could and finished the song like a true pro. I was so proud of her, am so proud of her. The child was shaking so hard it was visible from my chair and yet she pulled off scores of 95 95 and 96 (out of 100). She was dead on, every note, every key change, she did it. I think that moment helped her grow, and I think she was glad her momma was there!

As horrible as it is at times being the mom of a teenage girl it is moments like today that remind me that my job is to take the brunt of her drama and ridiculous shenanigans and to still  show up and be in the front row telling her to push forward.  I always will be, whether she likes it or not.

My reward for putting up with all of her crap, and abuse was to be in the audience when she sang her last song of the night, “HOME” from Phantom, for the Musical Theater Division. The passion and beauty in her voice was so strong it took every bit my self control to not sob hysterically with pride, joy, awe, wonder, and a ton of other crap I can’t explain.  The blinds vibrating from the intensity of her last high note was the only sound after the piano had finished. It was amazing. SHE is amazing. Dramatic and tiring but she is truly amazing.