The quiet between the storms.

Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. ~Emory Austin

I had decided last week that we would not school this week. It has been a wise decision. Ditz was so tired last night she was completely silent in the car coming home. This is almost unheard of. She didn't want to talk about the rehearsal. She didn't want to sing. When I found the sign posts that would take us home she put away the refedex & simply sat.

Not only was she tired but she was bored to distraction & rehearsal ran overtime. I began to worry about getting home in time to pick Liddy up from work. She is also tired. Need I say my house is not the pleasantest place to be this morning?

Dino took Ditz out crabbing with him & this was the best thing that could have happened for Ditz; a complete change of pace, doing not waiting, & as they got a haul of crabs pretty exciting as well. This morning she wants to quit everything: choir, violin, flute. Everyone wants her to do something just now & I guess Ditz is feeling a little overwhelmed. We did not need to try & school on top of this. Commitments are commitments so Ditz is in for the entire ride but boy was it tempting to say, 'Sure, ring Alison & tell her your quitting.' I mean, the sun is shining, the bay is dancing with sunlight, the air is fresh from all the rain & the island's idea of a traffic jam is two cars passing each other at the jetty! Now why would I want to exchange all that for dirty, gritty old Brisbane? I don't.

Just the same now is the time for Ditz to realise what hard work being a musician is. Now is the time to grasp that there is a lot of standing round waiting with what patience you can muster while someone else decides what they are going to do with you. It is not all bright lights & applause & if this is not the life she wants for herself it is better to find it out now while she is still able to make other choices easily.

I know that part of the problem is where we live ~ & I don't mean the physical restrictions imposed by a body of water between us & mainland activities. It is much simpler than that because in this they are all my children. We chose to live here so our kids could grow up close to the earth, enjoy the beauty that God created & appreciate nature in all her wonder. And they do. None of them are keen about living on the mainland where they are in a far more artificial world. Ditz more than the others loves living on the island. Being more artistic she revels in the beauty & does least about it. I understand. Being surrounded by concrete & high rises, bitumen & plate glass is soul destroying. The eyes ache for a patch of living green.

We are going to be very quiet today. We will enjoy the sunshine & the water & count our blessings because tomorrow it's all to do over again, and again. By Thursday, after the first performance, I expect Ditz will have changed her mind again. I will have my spinning whirly~gig over the moon with excitement planning to be the next superstar. Yes well, if you have to think anyway why not think big?