The two awards were poles apart

The tale of two very different awards.

Once upon a time there was a little girl with beautiful deep blue eyes and golden hair who loved to dance. 

She practiced once a week until her teacher said you are ready now to take your first exam. The little girl was nervous and unsure but she tried her best. 

And after a long wait she received her results, 87%. A distinction. She was overjoyed.

Meanwhile a little boy with beautiful green brown eyes and a mop of dark curly hair, rocked up home one day on the taxi. 

He had his usual look of disdain on his face, when asked how his day was the look he gave was meh.

And so began the routine of unclipping him from his chair for the little boy could not walk, nor could he talk. 

After he was settled on the settee, his mummy set about checking his school book to see what message was being relayed back to her from his teacher. 

Out of his yellow school book fell a blue and red certificate. His mummy picked up the certificate and grinned, grinning and marching over to her handsome son.

"What's this?" she wafted the card in from of his face. "What's this?" 

The boy looked at her, stuck his tongue forwarded smiled and made his duuuuuggggghhhh sound. As I said earlier in the story, the boy cannot talk so I will translate.

"That? Oh that. Yeah that's just something I got awarded today from school. Just, you know, a headteachers award for good head holding and sitting up."

His mummy looked at him, as proud as she had looked at her daughter. He had done something amazing and it had been recognised. And whilst the two awards were poles apart they both had meaning. Both accomplishments had taken practice, practice and more practice. Perfecting techniques, training, and trying very hard.

What comes naturally to the dancer, what comes naturally to us all. To hold our head, to sit independently, is a daily grind for the boy. But he is getting better and better at it. So yes, his award too is pretty special.

His mummy ruffled his head, kissed him and told him how amazingly brilliant he was. Then a little a head popped up from behind the couch, leaned over to the boy and said:

"I got a distinction in my ballet exam you know. 87%. Whoohooo."

Yes you did little girl. Yes you did. You both deserve a very big whoohoo.