At the recital
Windsor
June 6, 2004
Edith came out to hear Emily sing in the spring concert of the Santa Rosa Childrens Chorus, and even went along with us to Baskin-Robbins afterwards -- a late night for a woman in her mid 90s.
Earlier, during the performance, Emily was having a good time, singing proudly, waving and flashing "I love you" signs to us between songs. But she grew a bit more somber during the third and last song of her group. I noticed it, but wasn't sure why. Dad told Mom, he thought the chorus leader had snapped at her, telling her not to wave at the audience. Maybe that took some of the fun out of it for her.
During intermission, I asked her if she had gotten in trouble for waving, and she smiled, a little embarrassed, and nodded. We decided to come up with a secret code: from now on, when she performs, she can blink at us in the audience, and we'll blink back, as a way of saying we love each other.
At the end of the second act, all the groups filed back onstage for the finale. I sat on my hands to keep from waving, and hoped she wouldn't wave either. She didn't, but she was blinking madly
