Sometimes

Being a YW president kind of reminds me of being a mom.  Every day you are succeeding and failing.

At the same time.

Every day you try.  Every day you feel like you could have tried harder.  There's always something more you could have done.

Then, sometimes, the planets align.  Sometimes, it feels like, this is working! In both motherhood and young women's, I don't take much credit for times like that.  Because then I would have to take all the credit for the failures too.

Our laurel activity (the girls 16-18 years old) was to go to the choir concert at the high school.  Six of our girls were performing.  Two of the girls who were not in the concert met me outside the doors of the auditorium 15 minutes before the concert started.

Mistake.

The place was packed.  As in, people were lining the aisles.  The Pleasant Grove choir concerts must give fire marshals nightmares.  

(And don't get me started about the sparsely attended volleyball game happening at the same time in the enormous and brand spanking new gym....)

We need a bigger auditorium, but sports will forever and always outrank performing arts.

Anyway.

My two girls and I darted inside, dodging people and looking for seats.  A girl from our stake who is friends with Heather and Emerie flagged us down.  Their YW group was there for the concert too.  "We have three seats," she said.  "Just for the 6th ward."

I gratefully thanked her and she said, "You're welcome!  I'm Jenna, by the way.  Emma's in my French class.  I really like her."

Hurray for Jenna!

(And how did Jenna know I was Emma's mom?)

I didn't have time to ponder that.  I texted Adam, who would be arriving late, that he was on his own and I couldn't save him a seat and then the concert began.

The reason why there are no seats (and Adam had to eventually enjoy the concert from the hallway), is that the choirs are spectacular!  It's always a thrill to attend their concerts.  I liked being there with Heather and Emerie too.  We nudged each other and pointed out our girls to each other when they took the stage.  (There she is!  Second row, third girl in...stuff like that.)

After the concert we joined the crush of people in the hallway.  There was no way I'd meet up with Adam.  I followed Emerie and Heather and they found Emma.  Rose grabbed my shoulder from behind.  We held onto each other's shoulders in a single line and waded through the crowd.  We saw Bekah and kept heading up the hallway.  Finally we found Larisa and a more open spot.  I stood back and watched the girls chatting.  The choir girls had shining eyes and happy faces as they drank in the attention and support from each other.  I sent an emissary to look for the other girls.  It was just a nice convivial time.  Gradually the laurels parted, drifting away with other friends.  I don't know if it meant as much to them as it did to me.  I loved seeing them connect.

It was a bright spot in my week.