A Girl & Her Tutus

Being a tomboy most of my childhood, I don’t remember ever wanting to be a ballerina or ever owning a dress-up tutu. My daughter, however, has had dreams of dancing since she could walk and has a ton of frilly, lacy tutus in her closet. As soon as she puts one on, she is transformed, attempting a zillion different ballet moves with increasing grace--moves which I still have no clue where she picked up.

What is it about this flimsy, translucent material that can turn my clumsy little girl into an agile swan? On a normal day, I have to kiss several boo-boos, sustained as she blindly trips over obstacles in her excitement or as she races to and fro at full speed. Yet, once she slips into one of her tutus, she twirls, jumps, and kicks her little legs with almost never an accident. It’s one of those great mysteries in life.

One time, about a year ago, I asked her why she felt she didn’t get as many little bumps and bruises when wearing a tutu. She just smiled and replied, “Because it makes me fly!”

Although I’m not an expert on aerodynamics, I’m pretty certain that tutus can‘t fly. Still, it makes me wonder if in a metaphorical sense, her statement might be accurate. When she is wearing a tutu her joy and excitement are all over her face. As she dances to the music in her mind, her heart soars to heights unknown. In that moment, she is fearless and free, and only her dancing matters. In my mind, that is as close as a little can get to flying among the clouds!