I'm seeing "dance" as a metaphor for life. In my mind, dancing also requires a certain amount of freedom from worrying about how you look or what others might think. That's one of the things I'm working on for this year-to be myself and not worry so much about the opinions of others, which leads into another of my mantras: Don't compare yourself to others.
One other thing: dancing implies joy. I want to allow myself to experience joy in my life and in my creative endeavors.
I worked a bit on an online workbook called "Unravelling the Year Ahead," by Susannah Conway and at one point, the question is asked, "If 2012 was a book or a movie, what would it be called?" I decided 2012, for me would be called Joy in the Mourning. I am still very much mourning the loss of my son but there are these incredible moments of joy that come alongside the grief. I am so very grateful. . .
I like the interpretation. To me, dancing also implies movement, both literal and figurative.
ReplyDeleteOh great. Now I've got a mish-mash of songs with lyrics about dancing *dancing* in my head...
<3
D
Funny how I just glossed right over the most obvious implication of the word dance, which also happens to be the one thing I dearly need to do: MOVE!
DeleteSorry about the songs dancing in your head!
No worries - there's always SOMEthing squirreling around in there. It's entertaining. ;)
DeleteSomehow I'm two posts behind here, Annie; but really like this "start" that you begin the new year with. I own an elementary book entitled "Giraffes Can't Dance", ending with "Gerald" declaring that "We all can dance when we find music that we love." What he's actually referring to is our "losing ourselves in the flow", finding that freedom of which you speak. David danced before God, his heart in an act of worship. The music, you know, doesn't have to be coming from a CD.....
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Jim, that the music doesn't have to come from a CD. Being in the country, in the woods, with my camera, is often such an experience for me.
DeleteBeautiful words, beautiful image! Awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beth!
DeleteYes. Good title for 2012. Dance. When I read the poem, it seemed that it's about ... not overcoming, necessarily, but smiling through pain, finding joy in the midst of pain, deciding to be joyous when you feel wounded beyond healing. Or maybe that's my take because of my life experience. =) You are wonderful, just as you are.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. We're going to have pain but that doesn't mean we have to robbed of ALL of our joy, difficult as our paths may be.
DeleteI love to dance and when all else fails me, it is a way for me to soothe myself, burn off energy or just dance.... mostly in the kitchen. ALone... laughing. If I had to really ponder the word, that's a deepie. Because we dance around so much in life... rather than walking to or through it. Hmmm
ReplyDeleteI'm picturing it now, you dancing in the kitchen!
DeleteAnd that's another aspect of the word dance that I didn't think about, how deep it can be when we consider all the things we dance around in life...