The Lesson

My son came home from school crying. "Everyone laughed at me," he said.\n\n"What happened?"\n\n"I said I wanted to be a dancer when I grow up."\n\nI knelt down and looked him in the eyes. "Do you still want to be a dancer?"\n\n"Yes," he whispered.\n\n"Then be a dancer. People will always laugh at things they don't understand. That's their problem, not yours."\n\nHe hugged me tight. "I love you, Mommy."\n\n"I love you too. And I will always be proud of you for being brave enough to say what you want."\n\nHe's fifteen now. He's been dancing since he was seven. He's won competitions. He's performed on stages. And the kids who laughed? They stopped laughing when they saw him dance.\n\nI keep that memory close — the day I told my son it was okay to dream. It was the best parenting advice I ever gave myself.