Junior Miss

My very first experience with Junior Miss was at age 9 when our family's babysitter competed and my mom brought me to watch her win the title. I was absolutely entranced! The fancy dresses, the incredible talents, the fun production numbers.....I totally wanted to be a part of it when I grew up! Unfortunately for me, my family lived in a small town that didn't have a Junior Miss program. I did compete in some other teenage pageants, but I always thought of Junior Miss as the very best one to be a part of.

Now, I am not a mom to push my children to do things just because I wished I would have, and especially not my teenage daughter (who will actively push back and often NOT do something that I suggest she do!). So when she came home on her own and said "Mom, I think I want to do Junior Miss. What do you think about it?" I was shocked....and secretly pleased! Shelby is really the last person I would have thought would want to do something like this, but I knew it would be a great experience for her that would make her step out of her comfort zone and really grow. She is a beautiful young lady, but very shy. Being up on stage would be a whole new experience for her! And it really has been! I have seen her become more confident, well-spoken, poised (we used to tease her that she looked like she was a little girl playing dress up in her mom's high heels who might trip and fall at any moment!), and well, just basically brilliant! Boy did she ever shine on stage! I was seriously thinking "Who is this girl?!!!" She performed an incredible piano solo perfectly and kept her cool under pressure with the ease of someone twice her age! She walked away with the Scholastic Award and the Be Your Best Self Award (for an essay that she seriously wrote in 20 minutes!) and $550 in scholarship money! But most importantly, she walked away with confidence that she can do things that at first seem daunting....and do them WELL!!!

Congratulations Shelby! We are so proud of you!