Sad today

Just got an email from my daughter's dance school, New Haven Ballet. The artistic director passed away yesterday afternoon from a long battle with cancer. Oh, how we will miss him! He came in the same month we joined NHB. But he had STARTED the school back in 1985, and then left to go on to other things. He was a brilliant, gifted dancer and he leaves behind a whole school of kids and faculty who will mourn his loss, AND a wife and 7 year old daughter.

And here's the part that at this exact MOMENT impacts my life. Do I tell ShaoXi today? There is an open house at the ballet studio from 6-8PM to honor him. No funeral arrangements as yet. BUT...tonight is her big 8th grade dance, the one I made a dress for, the one she has been so excited about. AND it is also graduation night for her old private school. St. Bridget's only goes to 8th grade, so her old fellow students are graduating and going on to schools all over the place. The original plan was to go to the graduation (it's 45 min. away!), leave there by 8PM and get to the dance by 8:45 (it ends at 10). But lately ShaoXi has been on the fence about attending the graduation, so I don't even know WHAT she wants to do tonight. And then there's the open house now. SIGH

This is the tough part of parenting. When and what and how to tell your child. Do you let them enjoy their big night, THEN tell them? But that means they miss the opportunity to choose to attend the open house. But then they will have even MORE confusion as to what to do. As do I. Oh, my goodness. These are the times I kinda wish I was married, and had someone to bounce all this off of! Times like these, it's hard being a single parent. It's a lot to deal with. Thankfully, I happen to have one of the most incredible kids on the planet, so I DON'T have to deal with behaviour issues on my own...not yet, anyways...hopefully, NEVER! :)

Pray for the Barker family...Noble's wife Ruth, and his little girl, Eliza. Pray for me as I struggle with what to do. Please pray for all the children of NHB who will be affected by Noble's death.
Hard times. Thank You, Father God, for walking this path with us!

Blessings...Nancy