Today I was driving my daughter to school for her dance placement test. She was very nervous and I was confused as to why. “You just go in and show them what you’ve learned this far,” I preached. She remained panicked. To her, it was like the world was ending or at least standing still. As I continued to try and sooth her, even suggesting we all breath together, I could sense it wasn’t working. My eight year old son, unsympathetic, in the backseat on his IPOD touch wasn’t helping. Let’s just say it was a long twelve minute car ride. When we arrived she told me I wasn’t allowed to come in and to please come back at noon, “with Starbucks”. I hugged her tight and hoped for the best. After three hours of the uncertain, I picked her up. When she got in the car there were signs of relief all over her face. We had turned a corner. “Great” I thought. Then she calmly said something so profound it took me by surprise. “We will get the results next week,” she said unmoved. “I’m not so concerned with where I placed, I just want to be in a class that thrives, not where I’m the only one thriving” Wow, I thought, Just like that she had accomplished a goal, that had frightened her, and she had prevailed. She came out wiser and more confident. She had blossomed, and I was once again reminded of how she was growing up.