Back to the Barre

For 15 years, ballet was a huge part of my life. There was something about the discipline, the consistency and the execution that I loved. I still love it.

There are two things you can do with ballet when you grow up: You can become one of the few professionals, or you can become a teacher. I wasn’t good enough to be a professional, and I wasn’t good enough with kids to become a teacher, so I gave it up in college.

I thought I wouldn’t miss it, but I have. I’ve missed it so much.

Then I saw this Facebook post for a young professionals group I’m in. They needed help with an inner-city ballet program. I had to email about it. In high school and college I was a missionary to inner-city Houston, Pensacola, Tuscaloosa and Huntsville. I started studying Spanish in college.

Anyway, the group I will be working with will need me to help with ballet, help with costumes and speak Spanish to the girls’ parents.

I write these columns a day early, so I’m writing on Valentine’s Day. For the first time ever, I suppose, my heart is so full I can barely stand it on Valentine’s Day. I don’t remember ever being this happy—and I’m not even in a relationship.

Valentine’s Day for me has always been about loving family and friends. We always ended up having dance competitions on Valentine’s weekend growing up, so it was always about celebrating with my best friends instead of worrying about who is dating whom.

Starting Thursday, I’ll be helping with the Angelina Ballerina program on Thursday nights.

I have a challenge for you. If you were sad or celebrating “Singles Awareness Day” yesterday, try to volunteer. It’s worth it. And who knows, maybe everything you love in life will come together and present itself on your Facebook newsfeed.

It can happen. It happened to me.

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