Last weekend I went to see my twelve-year-old granddaughter’s dancing school show at a local performing arts centre. The children taking part ranged from delightful four- year-old ballerinas to those older boys and girls of 18 or 19 who danced with a sophistication, enthusiasm, and technical maturity that would have graced any professional stage.
My granddaughter tapped her way through a faultless, superb routine that her late tap-dancing great grandmother (my long departed mum) would have been proud of.
One or two tears rolled down my cheeks as I witnessed the sheer joy and exuberance of all those wonderful youngsters dancing their hearts out, so alive and keen to share the fruits of much hard work and dedication. They were beautiful.
Memories stirred in me of the optimism most of us carry in our hearts when we are young and making our way through those childhood years. Most of life is ahead of us, our dreams, our hopes and plans beckon us, possibilities still appearing to be without limit.
Then life squashes us, dreams fade and we adopt a more supposedly “realistic” or grown-up approach to matters. We’re not dancing so much anymore.
Yet as we approach the time when many of us take a break from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a holiday loosely based around the celebration of a child being born who brought so much hope for a better world – a world of love, peace and goodwill – maybe, just maybe it is time to re-discover the exuberant child in us. Perhaps it is time for a rebirth of that magical optimism, a time to let our child appear, smiling, radiating and dancing as it emerges from its slumbers. Maybe it is time to dream again, just like a child.
However tough life’s journey has been for you, and whatever you may believe, your child is ready and waiting to dance life’s dance to a beautiful tune!
I invite you to join me in reflecting on that in these coming days, remembering the beautiful possibilities within your heart and mind, the hopes and magic of the child you really are.
Let the magic be born again, for in those wonderful, creative, loving ideas we all find true healing, both for ourselves and our world.
And love one another.
Wherever you may be, you are always in my heart...dancing!
The Greetings of this Season to you, wrapped in lots of love.