THERE IS ALWAYS A REASON TO DANCE!

"ONCE SHE BEGAN TO LISTEN, EVERYTHING BECAME CLEAR.

AND ONCE SHE DECIDED TO FLY - HER WINGS DIDN'T STOP MOVING."

Anonymous

Facing life's challenges often requires courage.  Sometimes we can't find it.  Often that is when a friend steps in and tells us we are loved and that 'no matter what' they will be there for us. Sometimes we make it difficult for others to love us, but real friends, the 'for life' kind won't let us wander in the wilderness alone.  This is a simple, yet profound, reminder that we need to surround ourselves with people who truly love us, cherish us.

If we are scared, they hold our hand. If we push them away, they understand and love us anyway. Because we know they need us, and most often, more than they will ever know.

I wear a ring on the index finger of my left hand.  It never comes off.  It simply says two words, "Fear Not." Wearing this ring doesn't mean I don't face fear on a daily basis.  But it does remind me that I am not alone.  And for this, and for my friends, and the people I love, I am grateful.  Without them I believe that sometimes I might forget how to breathe.

Today I met a gentle man.  A true gentleman with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face.  He is a patient in the rehabilitation hospital where I work with Kelsie my therapy dog.  One of the physical therapists had asked if we could visit with him for a little while. Sitting in his red plaid flannel pajamas, on a blustery cold South Texas morning, this man altered and affirmed my life.  He began telling me of the many dogs he had loved in his lifetime and how when he can't sleep at night he reflects on his life. 

This man with the twinkle in his eye was born in 1910! As we talked, he told me that the most important moments in his life were the moments he knew he was loved - 'the deep down inside kind of love.'  This was a man who would have been easy to love!

One hundred years old and he had been loved.  It is that simple. And in this place and time, his one hundredth year on this earth, this was the single most important thing in his life.  I was envious.

 What are the truly most important moments in your life?  Who makes you feel truly loved? Who makes your eyes twinkle? Who puts the butterflies in your tummy?

As I left and gave him a little hug, I whispered in  his ear, "Can we dance on your one hundred and first birthday?"  He smiled and I thought I saw him blush! On this cold windy day, I suddenly felt warm.

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"We are each of us angels with only one wing.  And we can only fly embracing each other"

Luciano de Creschenzo