Two short anecdotes that didn’t make the cut:

In preparation for my youngest child’s first musical performance, we practiced songs daily. The day of the event, we sat near the front of the auditorium and waited. Our child’s turn on the stage was spent staring at his feet, rocking on his toes, wandering from his spot and having a shoving contest with the child next to him. He didn’t utter a single note. It was the only time his entire life that he has been silent while awake.

On another day, I asked my oldest daughter what time her performance would begin. “You’re not going to come watch it are you? It’s terrible. You should skip it.” Later that week, as I walked to my car, I texted the same child to let her know that I was heading home. “Already? Did you see my performance? How did it look? Did you get pictures?”