Amelia’s Choice

By Jane Nickerson

Have you ever made a really big decision that would affect not only you but your whole family? Amelia S. of Ontario, Canada, has.

When Amelia was four, she began taking ballet at a professional dance school. She learned quickly and soon was at the top of her class.

“As I danced and leaped through the air, I felt as if I could fly,” Amelia says. “I could imagine I was alone on the stage—a real prima ballerina.”

When Amelia was eight, her teachers said she needed to spend more time at the dance school so she could prepare for a professional audition. Amelia was a hard worker, so she didn’t mind. But then the director of the school said that by the age of 12, Amelia would need to be at the dance studio whenever she wasn’t at school.

“What about her family?” Amelia’s mother asked.

“The studio will become her family,” the director said.

Amelia’s parents talked to her about her choices. She knew she wouldn’t have time to spend with her brother and sisters. She wouldn’t have time to play the piano.

Amelia thought and prayed about it. She wanted to do what was best for her whole family.

It wasn’t easy, but Amelia decided to stop taking ballet. It was hard at first, but as time went on she knew she had made a good choice. She learned she can handle changes. Her piano playing improved. Soon she was even playing the piano at a nursing home.

Amelia is a wonderful big sister. She helps her family in their garden. They all like to watch movies together as they fold laundry. Amelia loves to read. Sometimes she plays the piano in her ward. And she is glad she chose to spend time with her family and have a well-rounded life.

Illustration by Taia Morley