My Family Can Buy Whatever We Want with Food Stamps

My child deserves to grow up happy and secure, even though we rely on government assistance.

Everybody needs a treat sometimes. Photo by Analia Baggiano on Unsplash

My 4-year-old’s first dance recital is this weekend, and I’m reflecting on why I quit dance class, at her age. It was because of money. Because I knew dance classes cost money, and I didn’t want to be a financial burden on my family.

At the time, I didn’t explain my reasoning to my parents, and now they wish I would’ve talked to them about it, because they would’ve told me not to worry.

But worry I did.

My daughter, wearing my old recital dress, holding a picture of 3-year-old me on recital-day. (Photo credit: Author)

Here’s what I remember:

At 3 years old, I danced on-stage in my first and only recital. We wore beautiful pink and white lacy dresses and sang,

“I am a little pink cloud,
floating in the sky.
I like to watch the sun and moon
and the twinkling stars go by.

All the other clouds up here
look at me and say,
“Why are you so different?
Why don’t you go away?”