Dance Like No One’s Watching
This morning I found myself dancing to a senior’s tune – mine. Why would I do such a thing, you might ask. Because yesterday, due my own foolishness, I got to stay in bed most of the day recovering from lifting things I should know not to lift. This old girl is not good at staying in bed. So when the pain eased during the night and my body walked, without screaming at me, to let the pups out, I danced.
There is this saying that is found just about everywhere these days that I adopted:
Sing like no one’s listening
Dance like no one’s watching
and
Love like you’ve never been hurt
Dancing, Singing and Loving
I see those words every morning when my eyes open because I have them stenciled on my bedroom wall. What possessed me to do something that’s considered rather juvenile at the upcoming tender age of 73? Four years after my husband’s death, I discovered something terribly disturbing. Each moment staggered along as I waited for my own end to come. When Bru’s stroke hit, we still knew how to smile, sing, and yes, with his electric wheelchair, we even ‘danced’ occasionally. Just being together made all of that possible because we loved each other deeply.
When the Sadness Turns to Hope
Out of the blue, the sadness I allowed to take over my life became too heavy. My daughter bought an old radio at a yard sale. On the same day the weight of my sadness hit, she decided to turn her precious radio onto a music station. From my teen years, came a haunting song, ‘Only the Lonely.’ I burst into song, tears streaming down my face, as I applied it to the loss of my dear husband. But it was that very last stanza that struck home, as it rang with the possibility of a new romance one day, that eased the hurt. Tears dried, a tremulous smile, something new in my current life, lifted the corners of my mouth.
Suddenly, I grabbed my daughter’s hands, pulled her up and we danced to the new song trilling over the airwaves. Rocking around the room to Elvis, Rickie Nelson, Brenda Lee, and Connie Francis, we danced until both of us sank breathless onto the sofa. Since that day, we both take time to sing, to dance, and maybe one day, love will come along. Sadness turned to hope and remains a vivid part of life today.
Learning to Push Our Heart’s Door Open
It’s easy to give up when we lose our partner. Recovering takes time and for some, it may never happen. When we push the doors open to our hearts and souls, learn to sing, push ourselves into dancing, and permit the thought of love re-entering our lives, we must be prepared to accept that moment. We must hold it close for a moment before spreading our arms to embrace living fully once more.