I was a little surprised. Ballet is her first love and that is where all her focus had been. But she persisted.
So, reluctantly, I signed her up for a Saturday morning tumbling class. When she arrived the first day of class, they separated the girls into skill levels. Rach could do a cartwheel and a round-off. So she was placed in the beginning level.
The problem? All the other girls except one were half her size and half her age. She came home that first day feeling embarrassed and a bit humiliated. We asked her if she was sure this was something she wanted to do. She thought about it and then repeated a line that she had heard a well loved scout master say, "Don't trade what you want now for what you want most".
Those words became her mantra, her theme, her words to live by. Week after week she pulled herself out of bed to get to class. Progress was slow. Younger girls were quickly moved to a more advanced class while Rachie struggled to do a back-walkover and then a standing back handspring.
Rachel is the first one to raise her hand and admit that she is not naturally flexible. Her toe touches were not pretty and her splits were nowhere near flat. But she was determined. "Don't trade what you want now for what you want most", she muttered to herself every time she felt like sleeping in on a Saturday.
She also began a serious habit of stretching before bed each night. She did push-ups to help her tumbling. She wrote messages to herself on the bathroom mirror and on the whiteboard in her bedroom.
Those messages said:
I can do this!
I am strong!
I am a cheerleader!
She studied out scriptures for help and fasted on Fast Sundays. She wrote on her mirror, "If I do my part, He will do His".
Time passed and improvement was noted. This year for her birthday, all she asked for was some private lessons to help her nail the round-off back-handspring.
By the time tryouts rolled around last week, she felt ready to give it her best shot. She used her own money to buy cheer shoes and some new clothes for tryouts. She went to the clinics and then home to practice until bedtime. She knew odds were against her as they only take 2 or 3 seventh graders but she stayed focused on the goal. Mark and I were out of town on her big week, so my sisters stepped in to deliver moral support.
The day of tryouts she went before the judges and did her very best. She called me when it was over and said, "Mom, if I don't make it, I won't feel bad because I will know that I did every single thing I could have done".
I think she meant those words. She truly had done every thing she could have possibly done and that's all you can ask of yourself.
Last Thursday we gathered at the school for the big announcement. Tensions were high and butterflies were plentiful. We sat there with hearts racing and fingers crossed. One by one, the current cheerleaders gave a cheer for each girl who made it.
The #5 spot went to Rachel! (assembly video below)
It was a rewarding moment to see all that hard work pay off.
A real life lesson that anyone can do anything that they put their mind and heart to.
So, three cheers for Rachel.
Three cheers for determination.
Three cheers not trading in what you want now for what you want most.
Hip Hip Hooray!
Hip Hip Hooray!
Hip Hip Hooray!
