My Shining Star

Sophia Louise. My beautiful girl. When she was 2 years old a friend of Bob's commented that Sophia lit up the room, that she had a sparkle about her. From the moment she was born, she had a way of attracting people to her. The nurses in the hospital couldn't wait to hold her (beautiful peanut they called her). I remember standing in line at Walgreens and Sophia, not even a year old, pretended to cough until she had everyone in line in front of us looking back at us. When her goal was accomplished she radiated the biggest smile and giggles ensued. She has made audiences of strangers laugh until crying in reaction to her light-heartened, belly bursting giggles. She really can light up a room.
 
This weekend Sophia sang in the Boulder Nutcracker, in the beautiful Macky Auditorium on the CU campus. Ever since I can remember, this has been Sophia's dream: to be on stage with a big audience. I remember taking her to a show when she was not more than 5 and she cried. I asked why she was crying and she said that she was upset that she wasn't on stage! The Nutcracker was her first experience to be on a real stage with such a large audience. She sang with about a dozen other children. As a friend said afterwards, the choir sounded like angels.

I surprised myself by getting  teary-eyed seeing my daughter from afar. At the age of 9 she is already pursuing and achieving her dream. And with such grace and sweetness and joy. I don't honestly know where she gets the desire to be on stage, it certainly is not from me. However to see her now in front of an audience is really no surprise given that from the moment she came into this world she has had a way of making people smile. And in so doing, adding a bit of sparkle to the world.