Beloved,
We are having a summer heat wave with over 90 degree temperature and
muggy as all get out. This year has been true for the phrase that
we Northeasters say: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a
while, it will change”. We have gone from 45 degrees to over
90 degrees in just a couple of days. What would we talk about if
the weather did not exist? It transcends each stranger into someone
who understands exactly what you are talking about.
Yesterday, The Wales Senior Center gave a prom to all who wished
to come. It was from 4PM to 6:30PM with finger sandwiches, cake and
drinks.
I thought my little girl was quite grown up but she appeared suddenly
when I was trying to figure out what to wear. The word out was that
some people would “dress” and some wouldn’t. I spent most of the
morning going through my closet and pulled out 7 different outfits.
(you women will understand but the men won’t) I tried them all on
put some away and had three left to choose from. One was extremely
dressy and chic with long skirt and jacket with inset sparkles, very
elegant. The next one was a long shift with a beautiful short
jacket that had small pearls embroidered on it. The third was a long
multicolored skirt, light colors with (of course) lavender in it and
a short sleeve lavender blouse with a light off white sweater with
some light lavender flowers in a few places.
Since this was the first prom the center has given and it is the first
one I ever went to, my little girl was feeling confused, not as good
as the others, shy, and totally unprepared for the event. I even
considered not going because of all the emotions coming up for me
even though I had signed up. My graduating class from high school
had all the senior privileges revoked because the boys refused to
participate in a centennial play which was because we were the
100th graduating class.
I did not have a partner to attend this prom yesterday so I
pondered whether to dress warm or cool. If I wasn’t dancing, it
would be cool and if I was, then I would be warm. I wanted to be me
and yet I wanted to feel festive. Do you remember when you were a
teenager and the girls sat on one side of the gym and the boys sat
on the other side? Since both sexes were too shy to ask, the girls
usually ended up dancing with each other except for the waltzes.
I could not believe all the emotions that came up that I thought
I was all done with. I felt as insecure as a teenager and this
was a dance for seniors. I finally got dressed as I picked the
last ensemble I had set aside and decided to put my hair up off
my neck rather than down.
You can tell we are seniors as most of us got there a half hour
early. They had a six piece band with a singer and played music
for ballroom dancing. A man and a woman were there as instructors
so we had a half hour lesson to learn to do the swing. Of course,
as usual there were more women than men but the woman instructor could
do either so she was there for the women to dance with. They were
very good at getting us up on the dance floor and they stayed the
entire time and they focused on us singles so we would all get the
chance to dance.
I was not sure of my knee(they want to do a knee replacement)and
how it would work as I can walk but cannot GO for a walk as it is
too painful. I took ballroom dancing lessons 23 years ago (has it
been that long already)and had a friend who was my partner and we
danced for 6 months which was the happiest time of my life. It
happened during my dark night of the soul so I believe he was an
angel sent to help me through it with the magic of dancing.
I just looove to dance.
What a pleasure it was to ballroom dance with the instructors. I
felt like Cinderella dancing at the ball. By the way, Cinderella
is my favorite fairy tale. I believe in miracles, the impossible,
do you? Also remember she had a fairy GODmother which we all have
as we all have a Mother/Father God don’t we?
The time floated by, I got many compliments on my dancing and my
knee did not hurt anymore than it did normally. I wondered why and
my son, Bruce says it it probably because you dance on your toes more
in ballroom dancing, especially the women. I could not have the food
they offered as I need to be gluten free but I brought my own food
which was permitted. I made myself some fresh crab leg salad and
put it on rice cakes and I brought a piece of this delectable cake
that I had been given by the chef who has Celiac at my favorite
restaurant. I happened to go there for a gluten Free house burger,
(to die for) and it was his birthday so he insisted I take home some
of his birthday cake. I felt so spoiled and so ecstatic.
And guess what was in my email box? The following story and video
of being stood up for her prom. It brought back a lot of memories
and it had a happy ending just like Cinderella. How many memories
does this bring up for you?
I believe that each of us have these feelings of less than, or not
being enough either in looks or clothes or personality. As we age,
we generally get more confidence in ourselves but every now and then,
the child in us appears and all it needs is love and understanding.
Hopefully we gain more courage of our convictions and the ability
to show WHO we are and BE who we are which the following video
exemplifies. Enjoy!
http://www.flixxy.com/the-johnson-brothers-sing-the-impossible-dream-at-britains-got-talent.htm
I wish for you some times when you feel so complete and ecstatic
that you know there is a GODMOTHER/FATHER just for you. All you
need do is believe in so called magic(but we know better as it is
simply love) and feel the LOVE that is being given to you in a myriad
of ways. Magic does happen when the little one is us says YES to it
and the older one allows it to happen.
Love and Light
Mary Grace
www.IAmMaryGrace.com
www.TheWoundedChalice.com
http://www.waleson5.com/marygrace.html
PO Box 403
Wales, MA 01081, USA
413-245-3977