To All My Sisters: I Hope You Dance!

What started out as a chapter in A WOMAN OF WORTH: LOVING THE SKIN I'M IN has taken on a life of it's own.  The chapter entitled, How Can I Dance When You Are Standing on My Feet?  It was a call to women to learn to dance in the midst of adversity.  The chapter is now a book, Affirmations for a Woman of Worth: I Hope You Dance!  It is a clarion call to DANCE, my sisters, simply DANCE. 

Through all your pains, hurts and afflictions - you made it and it is time to dance.  I pray this book will bless all the women who have not danced, who forgot to dance, who want to dance, who have danced in the rain and those who have found the strength to dance through the pain.  There is strength is our spiritual legs and that strength gives us the ability to dance while we are in torrential rains and personal tsunamis.  When we are able to dance in the midst of the storm, we will appreciate the dance in the still waters of peace.

No one really understands what it takes to dance your way through pain, sorrow, betrayal, sickness, death and the like.  But one thing is for sure that dancing may be the only thing that saves your life.  It may be the only joy you find in the midst of the hell you face each day.

I found my joy in the dance.  The silly girlish giggles gave my heart a reason to smile even when there was nothing to smile about.  Twirling around the floor to the music in my head gave me a sense of normality in the midst of chaos. 

Recalling the dances from my youth gave me a reason to cut a step or two.  Living in the moment of my awkward "funky four corners" made me laugh so hard I felt tears roll down my face.  The biggest laugh came when I did my prolific version of the "Robot" and Michael Jackson's "Moonwalk."

The greatest revelation came when I realized that I could dance.  There was no one standing on my feet.  I was free of the pains of my present circumstances and I was free to dance.  No chains holding me, no pain stalking me, no heavy feet standing on my "moon walking, soul struttin', funky chicken flappin' feet.  I could dance because there was no one on my feet.

The day my feet were free to dance, that was the day that I walked in the newness of my peace, joy and freedom.  The day you ask the world, "How Can I Dance When You Are Standing on My Feet?"  That will be the day when you get everything and everyone OFF your feet and dance.  That's the day you will find your freedom and simply DANCE!  If you have not danced in a while, sisters, I hope you dance.  I did and I have never been the same.