Day 77: Stand…

I’m going off topic today and “and’ing” what Chet said about our sacred time together this morning.

As you read, Stella joined our practice during our drive to school this morning.  The band was instantly curious, asking her questions about her life as a 6th grader.  The questions were sincere and Stella answered them with sincerity.  My favorite moment was when someone asked her what her favorite sport was.  She went on to tell them that she loves soccer and dance equally, but the boys in her class don’t consider dance a sport.  Chet passed the baton to Rachel who shared what it’s like to work with a world-class dancer.  I could see the seeds of Stella’s worldview being planted into fertile soil.

After a bit, I asked Stella if she had any questions for others who do what I do.  She said, “I don’t really understand what my dad does, so how do you actually help people?”  Chet’s response was freakin’ magic and a byproduct of the time he invested in learning about Stella first.  He didn’t recite our purpose statement or speak at her – quite the opposite.  He explained to her, in a language and context she could understand, that a lot of what we do is ask questions, “kinda like how we talked through dance and learned how much strength that takes.” She completely understood.

I just picked her up from school, told her she’s famous and showed her Chet’s blog.  She zoomed in to see her picture and read the blog – all with a big smile on her face.  I asked her what she thought of band practice to which she said, “I was nervous at first, but they were all so nice so I felt comfortably right away.  I feel like they support and believe in me (thanks Kitty).  And when I think about what type of friend group you would have, they were exactly what I imagined.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself…