Spiritual/Political/Philosophical Blog on the Nature of Truth and Falsehood and Heaven
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| Sunny Days in Heaven Spiritual/Political/Philosophical Blog on the Nature of Truth and Falsehood and Heaven |
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Saturday, May 25, 2002 One Proud Papa - My Cup Runneth Over Tonight my daughter's high school had an event. It's the VAPAC Gala. An end of the year program primarily for the seniors where awards and scholarships are given out at Sacramento High. It's sort of a small town Oscars ceremony. My daughter is a junior and she and others of her class had the pleasure of putting on skits and acting as presenters for the Senior Class. The VAPAC (Visual And Performing Arts Center of Sacramento schools) crowd is a kind of school inside a school. It draws on students from all over the city, and they have a certain autonomy as a program. It's our version of NY's fame school, but its still rather a small community. Maybe forty seniors were there. The scholarships can be substantial. One is funded by a foundation at $14,000 which is usually split in two. My daughter was one of the presenters with a classmate who had been in a one act play with her. Together they traded repartee which was quite funny which then evolved into a hilarious skit based on that one act play. The humor depended on the shared knowledge of the seniors and parents who had seen all the various performances that year. It was very droll and well done. Prior to that, my daughter had been in a skit of the Abridged Shakespeare of Romeo and Juliet. She acted as narrator as two fellows acted out the play in brief but ludicrous folly. I simply sat in awe of my daughter. And also in awe and delight in her classmates, young people who were very fine and excellent. I don't understand why people complain of teenagers (a word I despise) as they talk about phases, hormones, sullenness, and emotionalism. The young people I saw tonight were overwhelmingly positive, bright, healthy minded, sincere, intelligent , and talented. Just thinking about their wonderfulness brings me to the verge of tears (yes, I'm now officially a gusher of a man who weeps when he sees God's beauty and joy in such matters of life - I'm a walking Hallmark card of sentiment over goodness and delight). But to watch my daughter is especially a phenomenon of heavenly joy. It is like watching a young Meryl Streep. She is the most talented young actress I have ever seen in person. To see her do comedy is to watch a young Lucille Ball. To see her do Shakespeare is to see Meryl Streep (as I said). To see her onstage as a presenter is to see a level of poise, polish, professionalism, and personability (to use a lot of alliteration) which is astonishing. She is lovely, and under the lights she beams as if no one was more at home on stage and delighted to be there. Her attention to diction, expression, and the glow of her smile simply makes everyone else seem a bit brighter, and yet a little more ordinary in their presence and talent. She is the real deal. She makes you glad you came out that night. When she failed to win a part after auditioning for Shakespeare in the Park for the summer with our City College (two year school), I had to wonder how blind and stupid her auditors had to be. I wanted to buttonhole them and say - "Look at her. She's perfect! She beautiful, she's talented, she smart, she's blonde, her figure is lovely, and she has a presence on stage and a radiance that is ineffable! What's not to like, you pinheads!" But the professors went with their own students. I understand it, but it still rankles. A professor has students that must be appeased for the sake of peace; and after all, it's not like the world is at stake if they don't cast the perfect Hero (a female role) in Much Ado About Nothing. Still, it breaks my heart with worry that this wonderfully talented human will not get the opportunities she deserves; that she will be relegated to hit or miss parts during the most lovely time of youth; or that she will be rejected so often as to make any further effort by her foolish and futile. Not only is my daughter rich in beauty and talent, though. She is a nice human being. She is unpretentious, not egotistical nor conceited. She is kind, sweet natured, and co-operative (and very intelligent - straight A's but also wise and mature in her perception of reality. She is naive and innocent in many respects, but not stupid. She is every parent's dream child and always has been.) She loves acting and performance (service to others, really) and analyzes carefully how to be good at it. And it shows. Other parents and adults notice the difference when she's onstage, too. (Not just me - she's that luminous.) Every adult who meets or sees this child of ours (my wife and me) is considerably impressed and other young people and children adore her. If anyone should ever question my faith and ask if I have produced fruit worthy of Jesus and his love, I need only point to this one human being and say, "Look over yonder at that marvelous child. I have been so faithful to God, grace, and love that I was able to get out of God's way and let him do his magic on her. Does she not do him glory?" A sad note about these reflections, though, is that my own parents (and my wife's) never expressed any similar sentiments or interest in their children. I envy my daughter that she has the kind of parents I wish had (and suffered from the lack). Oh, how I wish every parent would wake up, nurture, and cherish their children so that they might thrive as I think my child has when all is done positively, yet with discipline, notice, and patience. I have always treated my daughter like a person, enjoyed her company and conversation, and spoken to her like she was intelligent, witty, and wise. It turns out that she is all that and more. My heart is full. posted by Mark Butterworth | 2:24 AM | |
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