What are you fighting in your life? What are you not embracing?

This is a big weekend for my 10-year old daughter. After taking a dance class last year and discovering her passion, she joined a competitive dance team with a slant toward pom. She LOVES dance. She love love loves it!!

Meanwhile, to say that I’ve internally fought the dance thing is an understatement. I played sports growing up and am a huge sports fan. Although I don’t say 99% of what I’m thinking and feeling within me to my daughter, I do say things to my friends. Another mom and I have our own hashtag when we text about dance related confusion: #baddancemom. In all of this, there is no doubt a negative energy exchange. In the fight and struggle within me, I realize that I’m denying myself joy and robbing her some of her’s too.

Today is her Holiday recital. She will perform three dances. Ballet, Pom and Team Pom. Tomorrow is her first competition. This means my weekend is going to revolve around dance.

I spent time being quiet and still this morning. Not with the intention of my Inner Wisdom helping me with dance…I didn’t realize that is what I needed most.

When my pen hit the paper, here’s what came out:

What is a Dance Mom Defined by Me for Me:

A woman who loves to witness her daughter in her joy.

A woman who supports her daughter’s passion.

A woman who embraces the schedule, the costumes and outfits, the makeup and the hair.

A woman who helps set up organized structure around all of the above to help create ease for her daughter and herself so they can both enjoy their parts:

-Her daughter can fully enjoy her form of self-expression.

-Mama can enjoy witnessing.

A woman who supports her daughter’s growth.

I LOVE MY CHILD! I spent years hoping that she would find her thing. She has. If I can’t honor that and honor her, it doesn’t feel like love to me.

Today, I embrace my role in her passion. Today, I become A DANCE MOM!

What are you fighting in your life? What are you not embracing? What if there’s an invitation for you to look at your circumstance through a new, more supportive lens? What is you are leaving joy on the table rather than allowing it into your heart?

(And P.S. I’m missing a HUGE OU football game today for dance. It is ok. I would miss every game for the rest of my life if it was the trade-off to be present to my daughter.)