An email I desperately wish I could send

Dear Mrs. M. and Mrs. B.,

Thank you so very much for devastating my daughter. Again. Holding her while she sobs, wiping her tears away, looking at the pain in her sweet, blue eyes... Yeah, not exactly that way I like to start off an afternoon.

She has been looking forward to being the school talent show for TWO years. She actually tried out two years ago, playing Zip-a-dee-do-dah on her violin, but you told her that she needed to practice more and become a better player and try again next year. (Did I mention that she actually asked for extra lessons so she could play a special song that would impress you?)

Well that next year you decided that the talent show should be for fifth graders only. Wonder what changed your mind to make it an all-school show again. Too much backlash from angry parents frustrated with having to explain to their confused children why they weren't invited to try out?

So it's now been two years that she's been talking about being in the talent show. She's been practicing two beautiful classical songs that she's amazing at. (I'm not just saying that because I'm her mother, either.) She was so excited, picked out a beautiful dress to wear, couldn't wait to show you how much she'd improved.

We waited for an hour and forty-five minutes for her try-out time. Please remember that it was after a full day of school and just before a PE extravaganza. Yet she held it together, remained excited, couldn't wait.

Just how would you feel if you were told the very next day that you didn't make it into the talent show, not because you weren't good enough, but because you weren't unique enough??? How many kids were there playing the violin? Couldn't have been that many. And hey, if there were, couldn't you have just told these poor kids ahead of time that their talent is not unique enough so don't bother trying?

Just how do you think I should explain to my 9 year old that her talent is less valued because it is not "unique" enough? What values are you trying to teach these kids?

I refuse to attend your "unique" talent show and I refuse to let her try out again next year. Why on earth should we support your poor attempts at encouraging children to share something of themselves. It really is a very poor attempt.

Sincerely,
Kate D.

P.S. If you seriously have another kid who's "talent" is Guitar Hero in the talent show this year, you should be fired.

(And Mr. D. adds a vehement "Yeah!")