and Introducing... Emily Roach

So tonight Emily overcame her fear, & took the stage for the first time in her school's drama production.  She even had a "speaking" part!!   Not bad for her first year going out for it.   Her school put on, "The Comic Book Artist".  It was a super comedy comic adventure!!  Emily was in scene 1, she played a kid in a comic book store & scene 7 where she was in pretty much the entire scene as a member of the "crowd".   We were super proud, we've been trying to encourage Emily to get more "involved" in her school's social scene, so it was great seeing this giant step.... live on stage.  She hammed it up (a bit too much maybe) on stage BUT in her "awesome... can't help but love her for it way!"   She's unique & that's AWESOME!! But it's also at times,  hard for us to know that in "Middle school" especially, that doesn't always translate to "fitting in".  It's hard seeing that.  We want her to have loads of friends... because we know how truly awesome she is!  She doesn't judge, & likes everyone.  She's loads of fun & can teach her friends so much.... but middle school is that time when kids generally want to hang with the quote un quote... "popular" kids & it hurts our hearts sometimes to know she doesn't have a lot of friends.  As such,  it really made my night to see Emily up there, doing something together with kids who could potentially become friends.   I want more than anything in my heart for someone to take a real interest in being her friend.  & not just a "school" friend, cause Emily has some of them but a friend who wants to HANG out with her over everyone else.   To laugh harder than they've ever laughed together.   TO find a friend to just be silly with, to giggle at, to just have fun.... & to have each other's backs, that's one of my main  wishes for my daughter.  That she gets to experience that kinship with someone.  SO tonight I'm beyond happy that she took a step in that direction & of all the joyful moments of the play.   The one that warmed my heart the most was seeing the girl who came over to dance with Emily at the end when Emily was dancing by herself & the other girl who accepted a hug from Emily during the "celebration" at the end of the play. That was when this very proud Mama lost it a bit... the tears overcame me & I lost my composure for just a second.  As they say, A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step...& I hope I witnessed  Emily's friendships journey start tonight!