I needed that....

This morning I taught a dance class. A friend has put together a twice-a-week dance class for advanced dancers in Utah county. A lovely woman has generously offered the use of her studio free of charge, which means twice I week I get to dance for free.

Did I mention that it's only ten minutes away from where I live?

Awesome.

Those involved will rotate--taking turns to teach a class. We will have both contemporary/modern and ballet classes. Today was our first class. It was great to teach and dance with people that I've grown to love over the past seven or so years. It was great to reconnect. To meet new people. And it was awesome not to worry about grading, taking attendance, or teacher evaluations.

But every more amazing was the reminder of how it feels to dance. I love the kinesthetic sensation of movement. I love connecting to spatial pulls, feeling bigger than my body, and learning the supportive powers when gravity is danced with in the right way.

I love momentum.
Carving out space.
Shaping my body.
Breathing with intent.
Shifting my weight.
Discovering nuance.
Feeling connected.

I love the community that comes from dance. I'm always amazed at the friendships that I have because of this beautiful thing I am able to do. I am looking forward to this bi-weekly outlet, and so grateful to Tom who is so supportive while I leave for a few hours to do something that really is just for me.

To love another person...

Several weeks ago I saw the teaser for the new Les Miserables movie that is coming out at the end of this year. I watched it at least seven times and by the end had tears streaming down my cheek. The next day I was talking to Tom about the movie. He has never seen the play or read the book (which is really a shame, both are incredible). I eagerly started telling him the basic plot line, describing characters, and explaining why I love it so much.

You see, Tom is not one of those people who generally enjoys "emotional" movies. It's not that he doesn't have a heart. When we watched the movie Up he cried for a good 2 - 3 hours afterward. He kept saying, "Don't die on me, okay?" (He's going to love that I wrote this.) He gets really involved emotionally with what he watches, and prefers to keep his "tough guy" exterior on. (Because, you know, he's such a tough guy. Ha!)

As I described the general premise of the story of Les Mis, I found myself choosing my words carefully because I knew this would be a hard sell. I wanted to see the movie with Tom, but how do I convince him to watch a couple hours of a show that's called "The Miserables"? I mean, when you think about the story it really is a lot of sadness, heartbreak, and misery. In fact, every time I told him another part of the story or had him listen to "just one more" song from the musical, I found myself getting choked up with emotions. Why do I love this stuff so much?

Ultimately, I think it's because it's a lot like life. Life can be hard. Really, hard. Life can be unfair. Life can feel like we got the short end of the stick and there's nothing we can do about it because often there isn't anything we can do about it. But the story ultimately isn't about the misery... it's about the character that drives us to do good. It's about love, sacrifice, and pushing forward for a better cause. It's about understanding who we really are, what we are really capable of, and why it's all worth it.

Helping hands

Today I am grateful for a lot of things, but the first thing that comes to mind is Tom. I know I already "was grateful" for him, but he's been so helpful these past few days that I just needed to "put it out there" again.

Tom, you are awesome. Thank you!