She stood up on the stage, taking deep breaths. They were almost unnoticeable, but a mother’s eye is trained to notice everything about her children. She grinned for the crowds, but there was a small flicker of worry in her eyes.

She scanned the crowd, no doubt looking for me and her father.

“I’m over here!” I wanted to call out from the left side of the crowd. I took my husband’s hand. Melanie finally caught our eyes, and I swelled with pride when her face lit up.

“It’s okay, you can do it.” I conveyed with a proud smile.

As if she heard it, Melanie’s grin grew wider and she nodded. The lights dimmed, and it was as if a spotlight was trained on my daughter.

It was her cousin’s bat mitzvah, but to Melanie, this part would be all about her. The dancers who were leading the crowd had left the stage. The DJ stood at the back, smiling at the idea of a little 7-year old belting out a song.

I knew he didn’t have to worry. She would be fantastic. James squeezed my hand, eyes welling with tears. His other hand was clasped around his cellphone, ready to capture this moment.

Melanie’s eyes were a little watery, and for a second I worried she’d break down and cry. She was stronger than that though. She nodded her head intently, waiting for her cue.

The notes dropped, and as I knew she would, Melanie began to sing. The tears in her eyes soon dissipated, her heart and soul devoted to a current favourite; “Let it Go.”

She waved her hands as if she were the ice queen herself, the embodiment of strength and beauty. The white dress she complained about wearing swished around her knees, but she had forgotten about the scratchy belt. Her dark curls moved as Melanie did, and in motherly fashion I hoped she wouldn’t ruin her hairstyle.

I forgot about the tedious little things for a moment, and closed my eyes. Her voice wasn’t perfect, but it was sweet and confident, growing with every measure.

I pocketed that moment to save for the rest of my life. Melanie’s first time on stage, pouring all that she had into that one song. My little girl, strong enough to overcome her fears of performing in front of others, strong enough to do anything.

When the music faded, Melanie clasped her hands tighter on the microphone. She faltered for a second, letting a small part of her nerves shine through, but when the rounds of applause hit, she couldn’t have been happier.

The dancers made their way back onto the stage as the DJ spoke words I didn’t catch. Melanie ducked her head modestly, and ran down the steps. She pushed past the people in front of us, then jumped into my arms, crying out of happiness.

“I’m so proud of you.” I whispered in her ear. She nodded against my shoulder, while James rubbed her back proudly.

“You were amazing!” He smiled excitedly.

We shared a happy glance, knowing that great things would come for our daughter one day.

Author’s note: Just so you know, the names in this story are not our actual names, but the roles of the characters stayed true to what actually happened. I got a little emotional writing this, so I really hope you enjoyed it!!