storytime

Tonight I went to the Reader's Theater production at Sio's school. Two years ago, the Reader's Theater did their first production, Orwell's Animal Farm. Last year, they did a tribute to Dr. Seuss, which included both stories and poems penned by Dr. Suess as well as a Suessified version of Romeo & Juliet. Tonight, the theme was "Read Me A Story". They did a David Sedaris story, Shakespearean sonnets (Sio read 2 of them), a Lake Wobegon story, Mark Twain's War Prayer, a chapter of Harry Potter (read by my favorite freshman, K., a young man who is going to be something fantastic and incredible, whatever he does). Sio read Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron, and, in my usual style, I got all choked up to see my child be so commanding on stage.

After the show was over, I watched Sio work her way through the crowds. I heard one person tell Sio he didn't even notice anyone else was on stage, she was so luminous. She is so poised, and so beautiful...I just find her amazing. I'm sitting in my folding metal chair, 36 years old and yet feeling as awkweird as I did when I was a freshman in high school, watching my 16 year old schmooze and smile and hug and graciously accept many compliments, and I feel kind of pleased, as a parent, that she is maneuvering her way through her teen years gaining confidence with every step. Then I remember that my main strength as Sio's parent has been to stay out of her way, and just let Sio be Sio.