Drama Queen

I had never seen my daughter want anything before.

Sure, she wants things. A new bike. A Wii. This, that, and everything else she sees on the shelves at Target.

But nothing like this. And nothing this badly.

A week ago, Zoey came home all excited.

"I think I'm going to have a part in our school play!"

Each grade performs its own play/musical near the end of the school year. And since every kid in each grade is a performer in the play, I didn't think too much of it. "Oh really?" I asked.

"YES! I'm going to be one of the main characters! I'll have lines and get to sing all by myself!"

I knew there could only be three to five main characters, tops. All the other kids would be members of the chorus. "Really? What about the rest of the kids in your class?"

"They're all going to be animals."

She had relegated her classmates to background character status. She was going to be the STAR. I really don't know where she gets this from. Even though I played piano at weddings and sang for several bands, I was the guy who threw up before every gig.

I wish I had half her self-esteem.

For the past week, she's been talking about the play nonstop. Last night, after I finished reading to her before bedtime, she said, "Daddy, I really hope I get the part."

"I know you do. I hope you get it, too. But if you don't, you can always try again next time."

"I know."

When she got in the car this afternoon, I asked her, "Did you find out?"

"Find out what?"

"Did you get the part?"

"I got it," she answered in a tone that said Of course I got it. There was never any doubt. Because in her mind, there wasn't any doubt.

And I hope that's always the case.