“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.”
I honestly believe there are underlying themes to most days. Not all good, all bad or all anything, just thematic. I've often thought that dancing has an ongoing theme in most of my days, but after hearing a beautiful story this week, I couldn't help but think maybe dancing is innately linked to the greatest themes of joy in all our lives.
Talking with a friend of mine she recounted the story of a past relationship that lasted many years but ultimately just didn't work out. It came down to "Dancing in the living room" she said.
She went on to tell me about a conversation she had with her ex that started with the question, "What does love look like to you?" She answered, dancing in the living room.
She explained that when coming home from a party or a high school date as a teenager she would very often catch a glimpse of two silhouettes dancing inside the lighted window of her living room. Turns out, those silhouettes were her parents. A beautiful memory that made her smile through teary eyes. His answer to the question was much more somber. His memories were of two people in different rooms who loved one another, but whose spark had lost it's flicker. Love to him looked more like complacency, the picture of boredom and blah. Her vision of love was an unforgettable snapshot of unwavering joy and a feeling of warmth and fun, two entirely different views. After talking it over they had decided that dancing in the living room wasn't really how they felt about each other, they had inadvertently found themselves in a relationship of convenience. She knew she wasn't willing to settle. I was amazed at how effortless and simple the story was, but how resounding the point came ringing through.
My own mom used to tell me about Saturday nights in their country home when growing up. Her dad would move all of the furniture in the living room against the walls while the kids would pick out records for a stay at home dance party. All 7 children and my Granny & Papa would dance the evening away. SIX girls, so clearly my Papa and one uncle had a lot of dancing to do. Swing was the name of the game. I love that story, such a beautiful image of fun and big family. Ahh and vinyl!
Another dancing in the living room story was shared with me by a musician friend. His mom had loved to dance more than anything and was a dancing champ in high school winning many a jitterbug contest. Sadly, his dad hated to dance. He recalled a very young memory watching his mom dance to George Strait while hugging to the living room drapes in lieu of a partner. She had chosen to accept a danceless marriage, but made sure her two boys knew everything there was to know about cutting a rug. At the ripe old age of 4 they were both already two steppin' in their socks with their dancin' mom across a slippery linoleum kitchen floor.
Oh the glorious rhythm of love.
"Life's a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don't worry about what you don't know
Life's a dance you learn as you go"
Wishing you den disco balls & countless dances with somebody who loves you...
Hepburn Hugs & Ric Ocasek Dreams,
Birdee Bow
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