_____
A favorite song comes on and we can't help it.
Our stocking feet slip across the kitchen floor, dancing to the music blasting through the speakers.
whoosh whoosh blur blur flurry flurry
fumble trip spin and laugh
dip
feet firmly planted
then
feet flying through the air
blurry
Like life.
It's the way we turn ourselves, trying to find our way to the right moves. I hold a tiny and chubby hand and we twist-and-shout and move our hips and then I twirl that small boy out and pull him back in.
My hand on the small of a small back and dip, and a little tummy drops with the fast-moving close-to-the-floor-but-still-caught feeling of it.
Like life. Turning ourselves and feeling it.
Dip.
We fumble through our uncoordinated bonking and slipping and we hold on tight to each other.
My little dance partners, they like the dip part best, until that grows old and turns to the mundane like most things and then they say up! and spin! So I break free and then lift them up and I hold on tight and we spin and spin in circles until I stop and tell them it's good to take a break from spinning. To catch your breath and see straight.
They lose the life in their faces for a moment, in disappointment of the stopping, the rush coming to an end.
And then we wait for the next dip instead.
We learn each other's steps, and it gets less fumbly. We get to know each other and we keep moving, learning carefully how to refrain from hurting each other with our lack of skills.
Dip.
Grace and consideration, in the dance.
Like life.
Fumbly and good. Either way, we keep dancing, or the music means nothing.
46 clicked right here to comment:
Seriously. SO GOOD:
Either way, we keep dancing, or the music means nothing.
Indeed. I can't say it better than you, so I'll just say thank you for saying it.
xo
Heather. Wow, just great. Loved this.
I just love reading your stuff...this is so good and true and sweet.
Heather, I adored this post.
Lindsey has started a really wonderful conversation on her blog about being present and this post captures the beauty, the realness, the importance of living in the moment, especially with our kids. I need to do more of this: dance; don't analyze.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm loving your blog.
Fumbly and good. I like that.
Fumbly and good - awesome.
"grace and consideration" - even better. My favorite bit in fact.
if through the dance, through (or despite) the fumbly and good, we demonstrate/live/teach grace and consideration, well then... we are getting ever closer to the goal.
I was just thinking about this today. I know that sometimes we must look so silly dancing around and rockin' out in the car but for a minute, we're fumbly and free and it feels so good. I'm so glad to know you dance it out too.
This post is exceptional- even for you who always posts exceptional thoughts in carefully crafted words. I think it needs wider publication. Seriously, awesome!
Beautiful. Simply beautiful.
This is precious.
Fumbly and good. Love it.
I've been incredibly fumbly lately and wish everyone around me felt as graceful and forgiving as you do.
To dance, to love, to laugh and to live with abandon! A wonderful post! This post reminds me of the importance to "Let go and let God". The grace will follow.
This post is so COOL! My daughter's favorite thing is to dance - when a familiar song comes on, she announces the "Dance!" and then gets down on the floor and runs in circles or spins until she gets dizzy. I think I taught her that... it's so strange and wonderful, to think I've given her something so special.
Beautifully written - like an invitation to your home!
I danced last night with my son for the Mother/Son dance at his wedding...it was beautiful...but no dips!
Well said! I loved your post. Just dropped by from SITS to say hi; hope you'll do the same.
That was lovely. Really happy to have found you. What a wonderful post!
Well said it makes me think of garth broocks the DANCE, life wow!!!
I love this so much. When you have time to dance, life is beautiful.
I can't wait to meet you and give you a hug.
Nothing short of a poetic masterpiece! Love it. We dance a lot too, mainly in the kitchen in the mornings when I am cleaning.
Such a perfect analogy for life - and knowing when we've had enough of certain excitement? Perfect.
WOW, I really liked that post Heather.
My life has been
dip
dip
dip
ah routiine learned
now dip
dip
dip---------again
but I guess we keep on dancing or the music will stop
WOW, I really liked that post Heather.
My life has been
dip
dip
dip
ah routiine learned
now dip
dip
dip---------again
but I guess we keep on dancing or the music will stop
so lovely. :) You are one talented lady.
Simply gorgeous! Now, off for some caboose shaking myself. Kinda got me inspired.
Loved this one :)
So vivid, so evocative. So "I've lived this and these are life's sweetest moments". Thank you for such a lovely, uplifiting image.
I love dancing with the my kids without worrying about anything but enjoying the moment and rocking out. It's one of the rare times when they get along and we can simply be. You capture it perfectly.
Did I respond? I don't know if I responded.
Hmm. In my head I did. Does that count?
I can't see. Wait, I can't hear. What's going on? I'm caught inbetween exhaustion and blog overload.
But, I'm here, dipping with you. And the kids? They love the dancing. And me? It makes me remember how much I love to move.
How do you DO that?! So good.
"Fumbly and good." This is what life is and should be. Stuffed with uncertainty and shaky joys. The music, the glorious music, is always changing, fading in and out, fueling us and soothing us, but it is up to us to move, to fumble, to listen to the instructive and inchoate harmonies.
Dance, silliness, dips. This is part of being a mom and a person. In our home, we often blast the radio and dance as a family before bedtime. There is something magical about the goofy release and celebration inherent in the everyday.
Poetic stuff here.
Nice!
Love this ... life has dips and spinning, so it's good to be flexible. Now I will try to look at the dips/spins as part of a dance instead of an interruption.
I made the mistake of dancing in front of my family once. My daughter cried, my son just stared, and my wife started to dial 911 because she thought I was having a seizure. So I don't do that much anymore. But when I'm alone? Oh, when I'm alone I let it RIP!
Beautiful words, Heather.
Love it Heather! I like how you related this sort of fun dancing to life. Good work!! :)
I have an anology for you over at my place.
So sweet! We love to dance to, but my kids are dipping me these days!
LOVE the last line. Totally right on sister!
You couldn't have ended that with a better line!
Really beautiful. Makes me miss dancing with my kids (back pain), but I think I will soon reclaim dancing queen status. Or at least dancing plebe.
BTW I love the idea of your Christmas Change above--and especially the directions to Grandma. Priceless.
So is it horrible that this made me tear up. And it was a perfect description of my dances with little princess.
...or the music means nothing....
There is magic in the music and the dance. Connections are made with no words.
fumbly and good.
brilliant. new friend. simply brilliant.
As I feel my life spinning right now, I feel this post down deep in my soul.
Truly we do keep dancing!
Great methphor for life! Enjoyed it very much. Happy SITS Saturday Sharefest!
I missed the original post.... So glad I saw it this time around!
Oh, wow...this was amazing! Absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.
"Either way, we keep dancing, or the music means nothing." -- so perfect.
I guess I didn't comment the first time I read this. I meant to...but baby started to cry or some other equally lame excuse : ).
The dance of life can be so intricate or it can be simple. Perhaps we make it more confusing than it really needs to be.
Kids will bring about inspiration, huh?
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