Madly in Love

Diva's last piano recital was last week.
She adored Mrs. Salmi, her teacher, and Mrs. Salmi adored her.

I actually played piano with Mrs. Salmi's daughters when we were young.  It was from our piano recitals that I fell in love with these cookies.

Anyway, this isn't about Diva, Mrs. Salmi, or those cookies (all of whom I love.)
This is about Engineer.

I sat there in the church pew tense as could be as I listened to each budding virtuoso play their piece.

I remembered that feeling of butterflies as I awaited my turn to perform.
Now I know the feeling my Momma felt in the audience willing me to make it through the piece with no missteps because it is the same feeling I feel for Diva when she is to play.
I can also identify with every other mother in the room wishing and hoping and praying for their child to make it through the process unscathed.

It's exhausting being tensed up for an hour and a half all the while keeping an encouraging smile on my face in case a child catches a glimpse of me.  (I'm sure I look slightly maniacal.)

At one point, Engineer whispered, "Whew.  We can relax for a little while."

You see, many of our friends' children are in Mrs. Salmi's studio and for nearly the first whole page of the program, every performer was a child of a dear friend.  There was a brief respite where a string of children we didn't know were playing and Engineer and I both let out a sigh.

That was the first time I had ever realized that he gets nervous for not only our child, but for all the children of our friends as well...just like me.

It was everso sweet.

1-4-3 EM for loving our friends' children too.