Momservation: There’s no such thing as friends and family when it comes to getting a good seat at your child’s school talent show. 

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 That's my kid! I gave birth to her! That's all the credit I can take for her talent.

I was so stinkin’ proud it brought me to tears.

Not just for my kid, but every kid up there at the Mariemont Elementary Talent Show.

From the kindergartner who lisped his way through an unintelligible poem, and the pigtailed baton troop dropping batons left and right, to my own eight year-old daughter, Whitney, who I was worried hadn’t prepared enough.

But when Whitney stepped on stage I realized she was born ready.

As I watched with absolute pride, Whitney brought the house down shimmying, shaking and singing to Smash Mouth’s “All Star.” No help from Mom – my suggestions and sample dance moves were cast aside like a baby Barney video. It wasn’t Whitney’s vocal skills that made her shine – unfortunately she did get that from Mom.

But it didn’t matter. What she lacked in vocal talent she made up for in confidence and charisma.

God love her, whose kid was that up there? My friends may know me now as a gregarious, fun-loving personality but it took a lifetime to reach this comfort in my own skin. And even though Hubby is an easy-going natural comedian he would’ve rather had you pin him down and make him listen to Jonas Brothers CD’s before ever dreaming of taking a risk like that as a kid.

And that’s what I absolutely loved about all the kids up on that stage. Instead of balking in the face of potential public ridicule from peers and parents alike, these kindergarten through sixth graders soared on the wings of courage determined to put on a show.

Who cares that there were missed steps, warbled keys, cringe-worthy notes and jokes that fell flat?

These kids rocked the house just because they had the guts to stand up there under the spotlight of scrutiny and choose to shine instead of hiding in the shadows of uncertainty.

They were true acts of courage regardless of talent.

Although, I must say, I think my Itty-Bitty-Whitty-Little-Girl-So-Pretty stole the show!

Okay, maybe she didn’t steal the show, but if that kid with the amazing karate skills had dropped one of his swords, she could’ve nudged him for the title.

Stay tuned for the YouTube video I’ll post after tonight’s encore performance! Or not. Just realized my apparently prehistoric digital camera came with a useless USB port and no uploading capabilities. Looks like I'm off to get a new video camera...