Rhoneisms

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to Vincent, one of the juggling and unicycle coaches at circus. One almost never sees Vincent still. He’s almost always practicing juggling.

For the first time in the 18+ years I’ve known him, it occurred to me to ask, “How much do you juggle every day?”

Well, I juggle for probably 1-2 hours a day if you add it up which is not necessary but I do it because I love it. I like to keep my hands busy. But, juggling is one of those things you can lose quickly if you’re not doing it every day. It’s better to practice for 10 minutes every day than to do it for 2 hours a day once a week. I can tell the difference between my students who only juggle when they’re here once a week and the ones that juggle fruit or something in the lunch line to show off to their friends every day.

I suspect there are a lot of things in life like this. Things that are better to do a little bit each day than to do a whole lot regularly. I’m going to make an effort to identify and pay attention to those daily things more.

One of the running conceits in the most recent summer show at Circus Juventas, Whimsy! involves Lady Licorice, played by Beatrix, becoming more and more annoyed that she and The Candy Sisters never get to finish their routine. Whenever someone enters Candyland, they have a welcome routine and it always seems to get cut off, interrupted, or the visitor doesn’t stay long enough to see it. It’s one of my favorite elements in the show.

For sixteen years now, our family has had a routine around Beatrix’s circus schedule. Weeks were largely structured around when she had circus classes after school. When we ate dinner together as a whole family and how were built around it. If I had to plan dinner for just Bethany and I and something else for Beatrix to eat between classes. When both Beatrix and I were at Circus in rehearsal for a show so Bethany was on her own. Pretty much everything in our lives was a complex scheduling Tetris around Beatrix needing to be at Circus. It was a routine that we never fully thought would ever be finished.

In the show, towards the end, Lady Licorice and The Candy Sisters do get to finish their routine and it’s beautiful.

This afternoon, Beatrix took her final bow at Circus Juventas. She got to finish her routine for the last time and it was even more beautiful than the first.

And, with that, we as a family have finished ours.