Taking a Step Back and Letting My Kid Do His Thing

Standing to the side of the stage, behind the partition, completely out of sight of the audience, I watched my son on the stage.  My eyes welled up with tears, and the thought filled me from head to toe - this is what he was meant to do.


Three minutes earlier - not quite the paragon of calm wisdom and parental pride.


Let’s start at the beginning.  My son, Jake, is a magician.  He has been performing since high school and continues to perform in college. When people ask me what he wants to do after college, I say, “Travel the world and do magic.”  And I am dead serious.


A few years ago a friend’s sister’s house burned to the ground.  The family barely escaped with their lives.  Nothing survived the fire.  Not even their cars.  Looking for a way to help, my family decided to put on a magic show at our local elementary school.  The process of putting this together was not smooth, but I handled the logistics, and Jake handled the performance. 


The show was on a Friday night in June, a night when there were graduations and other events going on so our hope to sell 200 tickets changed to a reality of 80 with 25% family.  Right as Jake was starting the show, I thought, “Oh, I have to tell him to mention this person and thank that person.”  I wondered if I could get his attention and mouth the instructions from the side.  This information was so critical…... 


Then a smarter part of my brain took over.  “Do you know how much concentration it takes for a performer to do a show and stay in the moment?  Just be quiet. Everything will be fine.  Just enjoy the show.”


I took a breath and looked around.  The audience which had looked so empty with the lights on now was made full by the sounds of laughter.  The music here and there filled in the time between tricks perfectly.   Smiles and applause were everywhere.  My kid was beaming. Totally in the moment and loving every bit of it.  Thank God I had kept my mouth shut and took a step back.  


Standing to the side of the stage, behind the partition, completely out of sight of the audience, I watched my son on the stage.  My eyes welled up with tears, and the thought filled me from head to toe - this is what he was meant to do


Lesson learned:  Parents need to be quiet sometimes and let their growing kids do their thing.  

Comments

  1. ChristinaMarch 3, 2021 at 4:39 PM

    I like how you started the story and ended the story with the same beautiful image of the pride you felt for your child in their moment. As a parent, it is very relatable and a good reminder to step back.. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kara Flockhart BlogMarch 3, 2021 at 4:39 PM

    I felt like I was right there with you on stage beaming and having my heartstrings pulled. What a beautiful post. So true and so tough sometimes, step back.. Who would've known that being a watchful parent is so much more difficult then being the kid going through the moments. Thank you for sharing the heartfelt experience!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ColleenMarch 3, 2021 at 5:09 PM

    As a mother, I too, have learned the lesson of stepping back and letting the kids do their thing. they tend to surprise us with how well they can handle something.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RaivenneMarch 3, 2021 at 5:10 PM

    Oh this was darling and lovingly told. A wonderful look into a personal moment I believe all moms go through at some point with their offspring.

    ReplyDelete
  5. CarolMarch 13, 2021 at 10:38 AM

    This is a beautiful story! Your son sounds like a great guy! Isn't it always amazing when we get to step back and watch them be the terrific people they are becoming!

    ReplyDelete

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