Teaching your own kids can be a little two dimensional. Working with all these wonderful teachers turns the Suzuki Triangle into a beautiful snowflake.
This week I have also had the chance to get to know some of my families from Texas a little better. Teaching four kids in an hour doesn't give you much chance to chit chat. Standing around watching the children ice skating here, I learn their stories a little deeper. And, they all have a story. Every family has a story. Nobody has it easy. No family is perfect.
I had more than a few moments of wondering why on God's green earth I had Mary audition for the honors recital. She is a great musician, but completely inconsistent. One day she has it and the next it's gone. Wednesday morning started out with five perfect repetitions. As the day went on it got worse and worse by the hour. I felt like I was pressuring her and frustrated. She was misbehaving. I finally asked her, "am I pushing you too much on this?" Yes, mama. Okay. No more repetitions. No more comments. Trust. Take a bath. Put on the dress. Trust. No last minute instructions. Trust.
Why do we do this? The kids wanted to come back here this year. Institutes are expensive. It's a big deal. Bill and I said we could, but they both had to audition for this recital. It just so happened they both got selected.
We do this because the children grow. These landmark occasions help us grow. They don't make us better than anyone else---just our very best selves. This week, Calvin and Mary had some moments of being their very best selves.
Back to the recital--she did it. Mary did everything she planned. Phrases, dynamics, poise. No child is perfect. No family is perfect. There are only perfect moments. For me, this was one.
Congratulations, Calvin and Mary. You worked hard! You can both be proud of yourselves, and I am proud of you. To all of the Kotrbas- Well done.
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