To stand on a stage and receive applause is a very wonderful thing. I remember working on a show once where I was dressed by a woman who had been quite the socialite in the late 40’s and 50’s in germany, and the gowns she lent me for the show were so beautiful. I wanted to steal them. Backless, draped, yards and yards of fabric. Halter necks, square necks, sheaths, golden fabrics. I was transformed from a little mother into a star. 
At the end of the show, I would stand on the stage in front of a thousand people in a gored blue satin gown, draped and tucked in such a way that I felt swathed. My hair just so, my skin glistening from the lights. My waist tiny and long. I would take one step back, the small of my foot to the heel of the other, then back to my toe and drop into a stage sweeping curtsey. 
I remember rising to a wall of applause and my arms rose up to the gods, both arms felt as though I could hold the vaulted ceiling up myself I was so strong. My feet rose off the boards as I reached up. My smile became a laugh of pure pleasure and the crowd roared again and laughed with me as I dropped into another curtsey of pure supplication and bowed to the people in the highest reaches of the theatre. The cheap seats up in the gods that were simple benches. Where my students and children usually were. 
Then I would reach out my long slim arms indicating the back stage and we would all clap for the critical back stage crew, and all who worked with me. As the applause drops to a simmer, there is a tiny moment when it is exactly right to leave the stage, at this moment, my fellow performers and I would link hands and bow as one, holding it for just a moment, a bow of gratitude, of thanks and we would turn as one and with a kick of our slippered heels through the fairy dust of applause, we would swoop from the stage. 
All this would come about again and again during my career in the theatre, but a little voice always said to me – remember this. Tag this moment. Do not forget… 
Because who will applaud you for making the perfect meal for your family. Who will applaud you for getting the words right with a child. Who will applaud you when you manage to bring a lamb into the world and keep him alive against the odds competely alone in a barn. Who will applaud you for spending hours with your mother as she dies and finding no words at the end. 
Who will applaud you when you see the light finally shine into a students eyes. Or when you turn a basket of tomatoes into a jar of sauce. Or the perfect image appears on its photo paper in the developing tray. Or for stopping. Or starting. Or just not falling. Who will applaud when you hit a wall of weariness and depression and wish you could run as far as you can but don’t. Who will applaud when you put the final word onto a story and print it out just so you can hold the pages. Or take your brush from the canvas and say to yourself I have finished. Or remember a dream. Or tell a teenager well done, Really good job and watch him try to hide his smile.
And who will applaud you? I will. We will. You will. This is one of the most wonderful gifts we have to bestow. That simple clap. Those simple words. Well done honey. Your smile is most precious to you but when shared it is more powerful than the clapping of a thousand pairs of hands. A smile is not a smile unless shared. Remember to applaud those around you. Strangers or not. Just saying -‘thank you, you did that so beautifully’ to a waitress will leave her smiling for the day. Just telling the lady across the road that her garden is gorgeous will be heard and appreciated more than you can imagine.
And for me, remember to applaud yourself. Look how far you have come. Look at how well you have done. Look how clever you are, then look in the mirror and see how beautiful you are in there behind your beautiful eyes. Just look at that one thing you did today that deserves applause and sweep down into a curtsy of acceptance and joy. Say thank you, you are right, I did do well. This is wonderful too. If someone rises from their seat and says fantastic work. Remember to nod your head into a metaphorical bow, a gentle curtsey and say thank you. Receive your applause with all that generous dignity. Accepting praise is magnificent for everyone.
There was a rule in my classroom. I taught drama remember and everybody performed. Even visitors to the classroom had to join the games. With all my might I would gently push and cajole and sweet talk every single child and young adult out onto the tiny stage space in our ugly prefab in the school grounds of this tough school. Again and again they performed. And The Rule was that you must applaud loudly and heartily every time for everyone. Always. Every single tiny step was a success. Because my most powerful tool in the classroom was applause. You are good. Well done. To watch a child drink in that applause is a wondrous thing.
You have applause too. You have the power to bring good innocent applause into your life and their lives. It must be shared.
Good morning. Even in our little blog world we share wondrous applause. We share virtual smiles. We say beautiful job. You are a fantastic farmy friend. I sincerely hope you know how much I appreciate you visiting, even though I do not get out to visit you often enough. Thank you. I am clapping from way out here on the prairies, I hope you can hear me. Now take your bows.
Yesterday went smoothly. Though I have to admit to holding my breath every time I turned the pump on. Every day is a good day and yesterday was good AND calm. Such a relief. For Daisy as well I am sure. It is 6.02 am. Another clear day. Can you hear Daisy mooing? You are right, she is bossy. But at the end of every milking she gets a slap on the rump and a Well Done Boss. Off you go darling. Off you go. Go eat your nice hay now.
celi
What happened on this day a year ago Puss and Gumboots.. the little kitty and my favourite beet salad.
The Kitchen's Garden 
97 responses to “Applause on a Saturday”
Can you hear me clapping?
I hear you, hope you heard me!! c
A beautiful, beautiful piece of writing, We applaud you celi, and we applaud each other. It´s good to learn to applaud ourselves, as you say and to accept applause and praise with grace and dignity. Really enjoyed reading this….there´s a little one woman Andalucían standing ovation going on right here for you now 🙂
the sound of hundreds of feet and hands rising into a standing ovation is as thrilling from the auditorium as is it from the stage.. Thank you and Thank YOU my darling Tanya.. c
A standing ovation for your beautiful writing!
Morning honey and the writing is for you.. c
Beautiful!!! Well done!!! 😀
I particularly thought of you and women who farm, out there with your sheep or quietly spinning when the wool just flows how in itself these small tasks are our applause.. c
For such a lovely post, I’ll send a you a Chocolate Marquise courtesy of another kiwi; enjoy the applause Miss C ….. The farmy has a lovely green tinge today.
OO that sounds divine, i have chocolate too. i shall go and have a look .. thank you so much elaine!! c
Very late, on its waynow.
I just read that.. DECADENCE. wow.. c
A very thin slice of course; I know you would balance it out by your healthy eating.
May I copy Debra Kolkka and also ask ‘Can you hear me clapping’ . . . this beautiful, honest, real piece of writing deserves that . . . . My wonderful father lifted me onto a bathroom stool when I was knee-high to the proverbial grasshopper, and made me look in the bathroom mirror. ‘Do you like yourself tonight? Did you do your best today? If not, try again tomorrow, but if you are happy with your day, clap your hands, darling!’ I still judge myself every night and I do quietly clap when I think I deserve it . . . . Shall file this for the days to come . . .
What an incredible dad you had, how fantastic to teach you at such a young age to look and see how you did and what you did well, then say clap your hands.. wonderful.. eha thank you so much for telling us.. we need lots of dads like that.. c
Oh Miss C, I must say it again – you have such a way with words. Your blog is a safe and welcoming place to come, it really is wonderful. I love applause – the idea and experience of a group showing their feelings in such a basic but powerful way, I find it very moving. I usually throw in a good loud whistle through my teeth, too. I am whistling for you today!
Oh those whistles!!! and what a great thing to say that our blog is safe and welcoming.. that is so good to know! c
hands clapping here! this was lovely to read this morning!!!
Morning darling, have a lovely day, not too much more cleaning i hope! c
Brava, Celi! Your readers applaud your efforts everyday, but we don’t always tell you: we applaud your efforts to keep the farm running, to take care of the animals, to keep your temper. We applaud your taking pictures to show us your world and your telling us stories. And I applaud your offering me friendship — I’ll take it. P.S. Hot date with Mr. Flirt takes place this afternoon and indications are good — he rearranged his teaching schedule to give us more time together. Yes!
And I applaud your gracious patience with Mr Flirt,, you will have a wonderful time.. such a treat to have a proper date! c
Well, I don’t know if it will tend toward proper or improper…
Brava, Darling! The older and more content I become, the less I miss the thunderous applause of strangers, and the more I crave the tiny smiles of thanks from those around me.
It’s a good place to be…
Have a wonderful day. I’m clapping, waaaaay out here to the East. 🙂
Hulooo out to the east, those tiny smiles and tiny lights in those tiny eyes makes it all worth it.. c.
lovely post. 🙂
I’ve temporarily abandoned my own poor blog, but I never miss a morning visit to yours. I rarely comment, but I hope you remember that there is one middle-aged struggling writer at a desk in a house in a suburb in the piney woods of East Texas who is clapping for you every single morning. Your willing and joyful spirit in the face of hard work simply takes my breath away, Celi.
Brava!!!!!!
You keep writing darling, every day. I am thrilled that you are reading the wee farmy blog and I do understand you letting yours sit for a bit while you concentrate on your real writing. Writing is hard work. And thank you. c
My dear Lady, you have my applause for your struggle to milk without that machine. (You really must find someone to teach you to hand milk!) So glad you have your machine running again. I really must remember to applaud my family throughout the day. I do say well done but do I do it often enough? Probably not. Thank you for the reminder.
The fact that you post daily reminds me I need to post on my poor, neglected blog. Maybe today!
We’ve looked at several properties and will look more next week. It’s exhausting with packing, garden and driving all over the state of WV but my God is good and will provide! Have a great day Celi!
I have wondered how the land search was going. I thought of you while I was struggling to hand milk and what i thought was I wish I had a few of her Missy’s gorgeous daughter to help me with this. My hands ached. My fingers ached. My back ached. I take my hat off to you honey- hand milking every day.. you are amazing c
My daughters said they would love to come and help you milk and teach you to hand milk. I told them I was afraid your prairie was a little too far from our mountains for that! Such good girls.
Wouldn’t that be fantastic, I bet there is piles they could teach me but you are right this country is a big big piece of land.. everyone is so far away! c
My hands are all floury from kneading the bread, and I’ve already had one computer disaster this morning when the control key stuck. So you will have to take the will for the deed. Sincere, admiring applause is winging it’s way on the wind across the Atlantic for this lovely post.
Your imminent visitors will appreciate the work though, I bet they love your cooking! No more dough in the keys!! I think there is a poem in that! Too funny. c
oops. I wish we could edit our comments – that stray apostrophe will bug me all day!
I went straight from messing my comment up to a prompt site, who wanted us to celebrate the anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s moon landing with another giant leap in exactly 33 words. This is what I contributed, and guess who inspired it!
APPLAUSE
The first to tame an animal
nurture it and feed it
for milk and meat;
the first to plant a seed
and watch it grow
into something to eat;
first farmer, giant leap.
Fantastic viv.. and awesome to bring that over so we can all read it here as well as on your lovely blog! take good care. (I guess your hands are cleaner now!!) c
Quite clean and the dishes done, and the first loaf-end has been slathered with butter and found its way inside me.
Magnificent.
It was a pleasure to read and go forth into the world.
Morning annie, have a lovely day out there in the world! c