*hugs everyone with tears of happiness in eyes* Thank you, thank you, thank you
soooo much, everyone. Your encouragement, support, and kind words mean the world to me. I don't think I can adequately express how much I love you all. Thank you all for believing in me.
Janaki, I couldn't believe it when you said that your first performance is like a baby's first steps, because that's
exactly how I felt (and still feel!) How did you know what I was thinking?
Yes, I still feel very wobbly, but I'm so excited, I feel like jumping out of my skin! Thank you Janaki, I promise to remember and cherish my "first baby bellydance" forever.
Maria, your warmth and support means so much; I admire and respect you greatly, and I hope when I "grow up," I'll be a credit to the world of bellydance.
Zorba, you must be another mind-reader! After our first performance, I thought the same thing: it was
absolutely petrifying, and I wanted to do it again immediately!
And thank you for making me feel comfortable talking about "girl stuff," you made me feel less self-conscious.
sstacy, thank you for sharing about your first performance with us. That's what's so wonderful about you all on the forum. We can share things like this and not be afraid of someone making us feel bad; instead, we lift one another up here and encourage each other. We can even share a laugh or two without hurt feelings.
Yshka, I am fast growing very fond of you. I love to read your posts, and I admire you so much.
It was scary at first being up there performing for a group of strangers, but my teacher and my closest friend from class were both with me, and that gave me strength. I didn't know any of my teacher's friends from the other two troupes that performed with us, but they all made me feel so welcome, and they, too, gave me much encouragement, as well as some helpful pointers. I made so many new friends that day, and I hope to be able to perform with them again very soon (yes, I can hardly wait to perform again!).
maariku, you are so right, it really was a learning experience for me. And guess what? Even though I do have a C-Section scar and some stretch marks, I learned that I don't look quite as bad as I thought I did. I think this past weekend, I've learned to love and accept myself a little more than I did before.
Princess, thank you for your accolades, I appreciate them very much.
*hugs!*
Auntie Crazy, thank you and everyone else for your warm and sincere compliments on my stage appearance, as well as performance. If you've read some of my previous posts, you know how I've been struggling to accept my body. And I do hope to perform for many years to come.
Once again, I want to say how very glad I am to be a part of this forum; thank you, everyone, for welcoming me with warm, loving arms (and for being a part of "birthing" another bellydance baby/chickadee!).