Grease Night 1

Gabrielle has absolutely LOVED this experience.  I was so apprehensive to let her go to the high school and devote so much time to this.  She has never complained, and always comes out of practice beaming.  She devoted part of her spring break and Saturdays to practices,  and 3 to 6  hours every day after school.  This week she was in rehearsal until 11 o'clock every night; couple that with an early Morningside, and you have the recipe for a cranky girl.  However, she was still a delight, and couldn't wait for more.

Tonight, her biggest fans were in attendance.  This girls sibling's love her, and we are all so very proud of her.  It was so cute to see Seth and Kira perched on the edge of their seats totally mesmerized for the entire play (Benjamin did awesome until Act II and then was a nightmare).  They just beamed and couldn't wait to see her after the show.

After the play I was talking to a lady in our ward.  Her daughter is disabled, and was one of the kids working in tech.  The daughter is a 21 year old high school senior.  This girl went to her mom and told her she wanted to be in the play last year.  The mom discouraged her. Again this year she wanted to be in the play.  The mom encouraged her to look into tech and they made sure to fill out the application on time.  The mom and I stood in the hall tearful as she reported for the first time in this girl's life she has felt normal, whole, and complete.  The girl with the disability was no more; she was part of something bigger than herself.

The young women from our ward came and saw Gaby tonight.  That's a candy bar they gave her stuck in her waistband.

I am so thankful Gabrielle had this opportunity.  As we pulled into the driveway from school today she said, "Ms. Musbach says I'll never have this experience doing this play, with these people, on this stage again!  I'm so glad I got to do this, but I just don't want it to end!"  Her comment struck me.  It's true in life with our everyday experiences...we never get today back.