Shut Up and Sing

I created this blog to share news about my family, but I'm going to do an extremely rare self-indulgent post. Pregnancy has made me react with more depth of emotion to what I read, listen to, and watch lately. While Ella napped this afternoon, I turned on the tv and tuned into the documentary "Shut Up and Sing" while folding laundry. Ella woke up toward the end and as I watched her dance to the Dixie Chicks' music and listened to their words, I felt incredibly emotional. I greatly admire their strength, their ability to move ahead in spite of fear, and their willingness to speak up for what they believe in and stand behind each other in spite of everything. When I looked at Ella, I wanted these things for her and mourned a bit for some of the loss of them in myself. I know many people can't even hear the name "Dixie Chicks" without wanting to scream, but I want my daughter to have many of the qualities I admire in them - to stand up for her beliefs and stand behind her words despite public sentiment. Most of all, I want Ella to let her conscience guide her. And as I contemplate my fears around the potential controversy of this posting amongst some of my family and friends, I wish more of those qualities for myself as well.