June 8

Abby's dance recital was this evening. It was something of a family affair this year, as Adam's parents and his grandmother all came down to join Adam, Isaac, Brady, Lambie, and me in the audience.

The show was, as usual, filled with routines that inspired a wide range of emotion, from a handful of lyrical pieces that brought me dangerously close to tears to a few others that were decidedly more upbeat. Abby's class performed early on in the show, and delivered my first near-tears moment as I realized --again-- that she's really and truly one of the big kids.

I think I've said this before, but dance really saved me after Logan died. Abby and I were in the middle of our first mother/daughter class (which went on to be a five-year run before she aged out) when he passed on, and the following year I rediscovered my tap shoes and let my inner disco diva loose on the stage as part of the ladies' class. The class disbanded shortly thereafter so I didn't stick with it, but I'll always be thankful for those years because looking back, I realize they were a significant part of my healing process and I desperately needed them.

So right now, I'm grateful for my experiences and for the gift of watching my own daughter do her thing.