If you want stress...sign your child up for BAND!!!

My daughter decided to play the flute in 6Th grade. She is pretty good. She has managed to stay in the top three chairs in junior high and now is 6Th chair out of the high school band. Not too shabby.

Yeah, we are pretty proud of her. Her dad was a band geek and she is on her way to following in his footsteps. (only he played the trumpet.)

However, sometimes it is hard and stressful to be good at your craft. There are tears over missed notes, frustration over marching band, pressure from your peers and the band directors and stress over competitions.

All-Region.

If you were in band then you have a good idea what I am talking about. If you were not, well it is a competition between schools and the kids are ranked. Those that qualify get to play in a big concert later in the school year. It is the best of the best. It is a BIG deal!

Last year, my daughter "spazzed" out, as she would say and didn't do well at all. So, this year the nerves were running crazy. Tears, frustration, moments of "I HATE THE FLUTE!!!" and a roller coaster attitude that went from a calmness to full blown panic attack. She felt the pressure.

What is a mom to do?

We went over scripture. We hashed out the situation. We had many a pep talk. We prayed.

I put her on the bus Saturday morning, ready for the ordeal to be over. I prayed some more. I even cried a little over worry for her. And then I got the text that afternoon...

"I got first band 4 flute :) :) :) :) oh my gosh i am so happy but yet nervous at da same time. it was so good :) to kno he (God) was wit me."

Excuse the grammar...kids and their texts!!! She really does have an "A" in English. But I had to share.

Basically what that means, is out of 120 flutes, my baby came in 4Th. We are so proud!

And she is learning a valuable lesson early...God is with us in EVERYTHING.

God is good.