Dance Lessons

One, two, three; one, two, three; spin, dip. Repeat. We dance to familiar life stressors consciously and unconsciously. Coping and navigating our way through life’s challenges the best way we know how. Dancing, then waiting to learn the next steps.

I have been dancing an old familiar dance as of late.

Recently, my eighty five year old mother has had yet another visit to the ER. It’s familiar; the emergency room with all its distinctive smells, intrusive fluorescent lighting, frigid temperatures, anguished looking faces and the layers of voices echoing through the drawn curtains.  I’m strangely familiar with this scene. The doctor takes the lead. The nurses step in with a more personable, thoughtful presence, carefully explaining the next steps. It’s understood, we will move according to the pace of all the other players. We wait. It’s often about waiting; waiting to understand the next steps.

Many of you know this dance all too well, waiting for the myriad of lab, scan and test results. Waiting for some answers, some direction. Believe it or not there is an awful lot of movement that goes on in this period of time. We wiggle about; we wander; some serious treks are made across the “dance floor” of our minds while we wait.

I know this landscape. My mind traverses the terrain hoping for “something” to be different, look different and feel different. After careful examination, I am forced to look at my own feet.

How am I “dancing” to these same scenarios? What happens in the waiting room in my own mind? How might I learn to dance differently this time?  How might I take the lead to behave differently, see things differently so as feel different?

I’ll spare you the details of the story of my mom’s and my dance. You all have your own dance cards, your own stories about the familiar dances in your life.

For me, it is in the waiting that I am learning to wiggle less, observe the wanderings and choose. Choose to not participate in the dance the same as I have previously. It’s a call to deepen my mindfulness practice so as to be more consciously aware of where my feet and mind go.

Don’t wait for the music to change. The power in choosing to dance differently is exciting and liberating.

Care to join me?  What dance steps do you want to consider changing?

One, two, three; one, two, three; spin, dip. Don’t repeat!

Take good care~ Patti