My daughter.
She is awesome. I know that I more regularly mention my youngest son and his wife, but that is primarily because they live much closer, and that they are the parents of the granddaughters.
But my daughter, who lives in Oregon, is also a wonderful person. I am very proud of her.
She graduated with her Master’s Degree in June 2010, and within the year has a great job, in her field of International Education. She was a hard-knuckled negotiator for her employment contract, and ended up being paid more than her boss. Or, so they told her when they agreed to her terms.
As an undergraduate, she was a double major in Music Performance and English from an excellent private college. She is a singer. A wonderful singer. One with a voice made for operatic music, and a heart for singing. She decided that she was not at the professional operatic level she hoped, so she gave up performance. It made her physically ill each time she went on stage. She pressured herself to the point of being overwhelmed. Her performances were always great, but not to her own exacting standard.
She has not been singing for over two years. It has been hard for me to see this, because I know that music, and singing are a vital part of her. The most that she has done is to wow them at karaoke in the local bars.
So, with all of that background, perhaps you can appreciate how happy I am to hear today that she is auditioning for a concert choir near her home.
It is a bit eerie that she let me know this today. Last night, I was watching the PBS show with the Live from Lincoln Center performance of the opening night of the “Mostly Mozart Festival“. It was awesome. There was a soloist by the name of Susanne Phillips. As I listened to her, I told my husband, “I really wish [daughter] was still singing. I know how much she loves it.” Then today, I receive a message that she is auditioning for a choir. I know nothing about the choir. They could be terrible. It doesn’t matter. She will be doing something that she loves.
That is a wish come true for me.
Just My Life 
You really do have an exceptional daughter. Don’t suppose she might consider running for office, we could use those negotiating skills in DC.
By: Arkansas Patti on August 4, 2011
at 6:49 am
My oldest daughter has a beautiful singing voice as well, but she seldom uses it. I am hoping that when the grand kids settle in to school she will start singing again.
Your daughter is fortunate to have landed a job after graduating… the unemployment for college grads today is abysmal. Glad for her success.
By: Robert the Skeptic on August 4, 2011
at 10:21 pm
Your daughter sounds like she knows her own mind and makes positive, balanced choices. It’s amazing watching our children after they leave our nests, knowing that we taught them how to fly and yet wondering just where they might fly off to. I know someone who has sung in a choir for many years and she still loves it – it’s just the right fit for her. As long as your daughter is comfortable with how much she gets to sing I’m sure she will have lasting pleasure and contentment with her choice!
By: Barbara Rodgers on August 5, 2011
at 8:04 am
It’s funny that your thought actually happened the next day. Now, if you could just predict those lottery numbers, your husband could get his farm 😉
By: jannatwrites on August 6, 2011
at 1:05 am
You have an amazing daughter 🙂
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on August 7, 2011
at 1:12 pm
Maybe the time away from singing was necessary so that she could go back just for the joy of it.
By: secret agent woman on August 7, 2011
at 3:23 pm
The arts! How wonderful for her…
Pearl
By: Pearl on August 8, 2011
at 2:46 pm
Oh, how wonderful and how wise of her! In a choir, she needn’t be afraid. And, if this one fails to soar to her heights, she’ll have broken the spell and can find a better one.
Don’t our children just thrill us to pieces? Watching the magic of music or art arise in them is like witnessing alchemy.
By: Nance on August 9, 2011
at 6:23 am
You are blessed to have a daughter with talents in both work and art. Our children are our joy and we can be as proud of their achievements as if they were our own. I’m glad she’s finding a way to sing that fits.
By: rustedgranny on August 10, 2011
at 9:51 am