“The best way to explain it is to do it.” {Lewis Carroll}

Dear Mum,

Thank you for never interfering with our dance careers.

Thank you for quietly and supportively dropping us off in the tiny 2CV (my little brothers and sisters as toddlers in the ‘very’ back) to the Stage Door, 3 daughters; over the span of 30 years; every single day.

Our hair, which cascaded to the back of knees, because our hippy dad wouldn’t let us cut it, was wrapped up into neat buns, braids, ponytails until we could do it ourselves…. Our squeals and ouches would be met with a firm ‘hold still’ as our tangles were twisted into the required hairstyle of our latest fad.

Our oblong ballet bags were always stocked with everything we needed our favourite ballet shop (Oh the trips to Ware, I can remember the warm wonderful smell of the shiny satins and lycras)! You had such little income, yet we never went without, you even hugged me warmly, calling me a silly bugger, when I got caught stealing candy from a sweet shop on one of my breaks! Lord, I was so scared remember?! After that, our Thursday tradition of yelling ‘tick tock tick tock!” So you would turn left at the post office and fill our paper bags with penny sweets was met with a yes, haha.

You patiently adhered to the rehearsal schedules as our ballet teachers required so much of us. You embraced the casting decisions of the director. You tirelessly applauded every. single. performance we were in. No matter how small or big the role. I will never forget the way you would hug us with such enthusiasm…whispering in our ear “You were the absolute best out there” (even if we obviously were not).

Not once did you try to critique us, not once did you interfere with our choices. You truly enabled us to ‘own’ our careers. The theatre felt like it was ours. Truly ours to discover. I can honestly say, your unwavering belief in our abilities, supplies me with the self esteem I have today. I never even questioned the theatre being my home from home, because you truly let me believe it was.

Ps. Thank you for selling the land of your own backyard, so we could afford to go to college. I’ve never forgotten it…and will appreciate my own backyard, where I write these blogs, forever.