My dear cousin recently shared with me about some important changes in her life. While managing her own personal and professional responsibilities, she has become the primary caregiver for her mother as well as supporting a brother long distance recovering from a stroke. The demands for care and intervention are ever present and sometimes urgent. I felt the intensity of all that she is managing – amazed at her dignity, grace, and resilience. I’ve often wondered – how does she do it?
Then she shared a secret that totally surprised me – a strategy for coping. She said, “I always want to dance and in fact . . . I dance daily. It is great therapy for the soul and not bad exercise either.”
And it’s true. She has always loved dance – a woman after my own heart!
I began to think about how important this really has been to her health at all levels. I re-appreciated the power of music and movement. Dancing lifts the spirit, lightens the heart, and calms the mind.
I thank my cousin for this wonderful reminder, and I leave you with this encouraging quote given to me by my own ballroom dance instructor several years ago –
Dance as though no one is watching you,
Love as though you have never been hurt before.
Sing as though no one can hear you.
Live as though heaven is on earth.
-souza
