By Joe Mazzella
I realized something this morning: I don’t dance as much as I used to. When I was a boy I used to dance in the living room while I listened to the radio or my Mom’s old records. I would even sing songs to myself and dance a bit when I went for walks outside. As I got older I went to all the school dances and was never afraid to get out on the dance floor and dance. And after I grew up and had kids of my own, I had to fight the urge to dance when I chaperoned the dances my daughter went to. I didn’t want the poor girl to die of embarrassment.
Well, this morning I was doing some light exercises trying to get my energy up for the day ahead. I was also listening to one of the music channels on my television. Suddenly, one of my favorite songs from the 1980’s started to play. The beat was fantastic and I felt a surge of delight in my heart. I stopped exercising and started dancing for the pure joy of it. I laughed and danced and spun around to see my three dogs looking at me and then each other. I could read their thoughts from the expressions on their faces: “What is wrong with dad?” I laughed even louder and said: “Don’t worry guys. I am just dancing!”
I am not sure when I stopped dancing but it must have been quite a while to have shocked my dogs the way I did. One thing I did know, however, was I felt so good when I danced. And I wondered why I had ever stopped. I vowed in that moment to keep dancing every chance I got.
Never stop dancing. No matter how old you get, no matter how feeble you feel, keep dancing. If you can’t dance with your body then dance with your heart and soul and mind. Few things will give you greater joy. God gave us life. God gave us Love. God gave us music. And God gave us dancing. Make your entire life a dance then. Make it a dance of loving, giving, and sharing. Make it a dance of joy that carries you all the way to Heaven.
