Looking for something positive.

Imelda attended the solo competition at Mother Guerin High School this last weekend... The last couple of days before the competition blew chunks of bile and possibly activated charcoal for everyone Chez Maman. Frankly, we weren't even sure that Imelda should go to the competition. But she was so excited. How could I say no?

I took her over. We went to the orchestra room to warm up. She took out her solo and got ready and watched as a much older boy started to play the same solo on his saxophone. He played well. and when he was finished, he played it again... with a jazz syncopation... like a boy who has been playing his instrument for a long while... Imelda looked at me slightly panicked. I told her not to pay attention. She took a deep breathe and started to play. In the background? The mother of the older boy hummed the piece... at her own tempo. Gee, that isn't too distracting. Then the boy ran over and started to play the piano.

Poor Imelda. She tried, but she was having trouble concentrating. I told her to pack up and we would head over to the judges room. We sat outside the room for a couple of minutes. I told her that I was really proud of her. That after everything that had gone wrong that week, I didn't care what grade she go on her solo. Just being there was worth a gold medal to me. Then she was called in to perform.

Now for you folks that remember me from my youth, you know that I used to go to these competitions twice a year... from the time that I was 11 or 12 until I graduated from high school. I know how they work and I have always tried to give my filles last minute pointers. I tried with the Angel.. she doesn't take advice and ultimately she removed herself from the competition... But Imelda? She still believes that I can help her. She even trusts me to do this... and even invited her friend Cate over so I could help her.

Now, here we were. Waiting for her to play. She didn't want me to wait at the door for her. Luckily, this wasn't an issue. She played loud and clear. It was the best that I had heard her play to date. At the end, I could hear the judge applaud. I hadn't noticed any others before. Then she started to play selected passages at a slower tempo. I knew that these were questions from the judge. And then she came back into the hallway. Beaming.

I gave her a kiss and we walked back to the cafeteria, where we had left her case. The music store had a set up there... I bought her some new reeds, a new neck band, some sheet music and a pin. The woman manning the store told Imelda that she was lucky that I supported her so much. And I explained that we had had a bad week as a family but that Imelda had persevered and that I was very proud of her effort to be there. With that, we left and wandered over to the wall where they were posting grades.

The key indicated that I=gold medal, II=silver medal, III=bronze medal and a * meant a perfect score. I knew from listening that Imelda wasn't going to get a perfect score... she had a section where she slowed the tempo down too much... but next to her name I saw the "I".

After all that happened, Imelda got a gold medal!