learning to take the risk

On Thursdays Sadie has piano lessons. She goes to my mom's house where the teacher, a family friend, comes and gives lessons to her and my nieces. She has been taking lessons for a year and half now and she loves it although it is a challenge for her. I am glad to see her having something that challenges her a bit since her school activities come so easily.

As I was helping her practice today I saw a perfect example of her sensitive inner spirit and strong will that so guide how she goes through life. She was playing a song that she hadn't practiced in awhile and she wasn't sure which position her hands were supposed to be in. She asked me where they should be but I wanted her to figure it out for herself. So I asked her prompting questions. She just looked at me with her stubborn wide-eyed glare and set chin that shows she is feeling challenged and doesn't like the feel of not knowing the answer. She always wants to have the answers, be right, not make mistakes. But I wasn't going to let her get out of it.
I asked the question again.
"Just tell me" she said. I could see the tears hovering in her eyes, she didn't want to get embarrassed.
"You can figure it out," I said, "take the risk, take a guess, just try."
Now it was an angry glare that looked back me. I quietly got up and gave her a minute to think about it, rubbing her back gently as I walked away letting her know I understood this was a challenge for her and that I was rooting for her, but wouldn't give her the answer.
She sat for a long time, just staring at the piano, then she started slightly kicking her feet very gently against the piano, just loud enough to try and catch my attention. I pretended I didn't hear. After another moment she played a few notes and then huffed and crossed her arms.
"It sounds beautiful," I called from the other room.
"No it doesn't," she called back,"I'm not even playing anything I don't know the right keys."
"Well it still sounds beautiful to me," I replied,"I'm just happy to hear you take a try, it's about giving yourself a chance to get it right... or wrong. You don't have a chance if you don't try."
Suddenly her features softened and the smile came back to her face. She put her hands back up on the keyboard with a questioning look that was less determined then before and more inquisitive. Then I gently showed her the right position for her hands to be in and I played the song with her until she was playing it perfectly on her own. She always seems to finds the right path in her own time.