Dance is not nearly as complicated as bounce. Dance is about, well, dancing. Dancing like nobody’s watching.
Dance is a Christmas picture that hangs in our kitchen year round. I also mentioned Dance during my speech at the Ride in 2009.
Dance was taken in December 2007. Shortly before Christmas and six or seven weeks after we returned from Boston.
Like most of the pictures, Dance requires a bit of context.
We found out in early December 2007 that both of Finn’s kidneys were swollen and badly infected. To remedy the problem, three procedures were required, each under a general anesthetic to put stents in each of Finn’s ureters. Finn was NPO (no food no water) for the better part of four days as a result of these procedures. Three days because of the procedures and one extra day because one of the procedures was cancelled at the last minute due to another emergency.
Dance was taken during that time. Specifically Dance was taken the day after Finn arrived home from the double nephrostomy procedures where drainage tubes were inserted through Finn’s back into each of his kidneys. Because of the double nephrostomies, Finn had three pee bags at the time. One pee bag drained from Finn’s left kidney. One pee bag drained from Finn’s right kidney. The final pee bag drained from Finn’s bladder. While not a Finn record for bags, it was a fair amount to tote around.
Which brings us to Dance. Finn loved Mary Had A Baby by Bruce Cockburn. He loved shaking the maraquas as he danced, sang and jumped up and down.
Take a look at the picture. Long skinny legs balanced on toes getting ready for another jump. Two pee bags visible. One out of sight behind Finn’s back. Maracqua in the left hand. A boy completely and utterly in the moment. A boy dancing. A beautiful thing.
So what is Dance? Dance is about that moment. Dance is about who cares that I have three pee bags. Dance is about who cares that I had my chemo 12 days ago and am about to go into low counts. Dance is about who cares that these doctors keep knocking me out and giving me a new pee bag every time I wake up. Dance is about who cares that I have spent most of this month in or at the hospital. Dance is all about the moment. Bruce Cockburn is on, he’s playing a catchy song, I have my maraquas and damn it I’m going to dance. Seize the moment for no other reason than the mood hits you. And dance like there’s no tomorrow, because sometimes, as sad and heartbreaking as it is, there just isn’t.
And Team Finn. Well Team Finn has been known to dance. Lisa leading Sarah, Baird and Ayva in a rousing rendition of YMCA at camp at the Ride. Will giving us his best mashed potatoes. Blayne doing something, I’m not sure what. Living in the moment and laughing a lifetime. For those of you new to this, Team Finn certainly likes to (I won’t say can) dance.
So if you have a moment the next holiday season, throw on Mary Had A Baby, grab a maracqua and dance. And while you are standing on your tippy toes, maracqua in hand, take a moment to think about how much a three year old can teach us about how to live and how to Ride.