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Article: Stumbling lightly toward the gift of grace.(Column)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- December 27, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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When I was six, Grace was my favorite ballerina card. Auburn-haired and lithe in an emerald tutu, she had far more spirit than Laura in lavender tulle. I tried - too hard - to acquire Grace's poise.
My mother has a photo taken in dance class: 11 tiny girls in black leotards, legs scissored apart at a precise 30-degree angle, me plump in pale yellow, feet together, looking bewildered.
If my brain grasped the next step, my body wasn't ready. If I forced my body to follow along automatically, my brain fastened into a panic and I lost my place.
In high school, I tore my nail off trying to spike a volleyball and skipped physical education the rest of ...