I Just Wanted to See My Boy.
Shane’s 4th grade dance finally happened.
About a week ago, the most beautiful girl in the whole class – who’s said she’d go with Shane – told Shane she did not want to go with him after all. “We’re just friends,” she said, “so we shouldn’t go together.”
So the record was: two girls asked, two accepted, two changed their minds. But instead of making a deal and/or blogging about it, I decided, this is ridiculous. This kid is in FOURth grade! And I tried to forget all about it.
A few days ago, Shane announced, “Guess who I’m going to the dance with?” He had a mischievous smile. Then he said he was going with his guy friends – and that the whole “group” was going to hang out together.
So when one of the other parents asked if I was going to volunteer at the dance, I jumped at the chance. I went in and started opening boxes of pretzels and setting up juice boxes, as if serving snacks were my life. I just wanted to see my boy.
At 3:10, the classes filed in like they were going to an assembly. I didn’t see either of Shane’s original dates the entire time – and there certainly weren’t any “couples” filing in.
No one “went to the dance with” anyone.
The whole fourth grade was just there to have a good time. Best of all, the music was jumping. They started by playing “Cha Cha Slide,” a song and dance that all the fourth graders learned in P.E. class.
Nearly all the kids started dancing – and they barely stopped for the entire hour.
Shane did the line dance, then pulled some of his awesome dance moves, and took part in a snake-like formation that slithered 30 people through the crowd. The DJ never stopped the dance music and there wasn’t time to “ask” anyone to dance.
The cafeteria became a simple swarming mass of 10-year-old dancers. Kids bounced up and down, red-faced and laughing, with arms waving to the beat. Some kids sat out, but even the sitters seemed to have a grand time, too.
Best of all, Shane smiled and had a great time for the entire hour.
He danced with his friends, he danced with his class, he danced in celebration of the end of 4th grade – and then he danced some more. What a way to celebrate the end of the year!
I’m just so grateful I was there to see my happy dancer, having a blast at his first dance.
Thanks again, God.