Full Circle

Ten years ago or so I went to a school concert starring (in my mind) my nephew Casey. He was in kindergarten or first grade and there was going to be lots of Christmas carols and holiday songs and lots of cute kids.
I love that kind of stuff.
So I got there (late) and snuck in the side door, standing on the fringe of the audience, because there were no seats in the gym. It seemed a fitting place to stand since, at that point I was beginning to think that I'd never really be invited into the gym to sit among the parents.
Ten years ago I had already been through six months of medication and one surgery and was already facing a second surgery to correct whatever fertility issues my body was having. But at that point two doctors had assured me that pretty much nothing was ever going to work. I stood in those shadows with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, glad for the opportunity to be the invited guest, but feeling hopeless that I'd ever be anything more than just that.
So two weeks ago there was no one happier in that same gymnasium than me as I sat in that same school and watched a very different kindergarten class give their holiday concert. This time my sister was the invited guest and I was the parent watching my beautiful daughters sing Christmas carols.
I still had a lump in my throat, but it was caused by the smile in my heart and the knowlege that as it turns out, and perhaps especially at Christmas, there is always hope.

So here's a snippet from the concert. Hannah is totally an actress and her song makes me grin every single time I watch it, and Lizzie said that her smile in the middle of her song is because the girl behind her started singing in a funny voice. Sorry for the horrid camera work. I am just really bad at video -- I have no excuse!
Anyway, Merry Christmas Eve from the Rasmussen girls: