Valentine’s Day Thoughts
Happy Valentine’s Day!
It is a time to revisit the relationships that had or have a profound impact on your life.
Take a solitary walk, or sit in a comfortable place, listen to soothing music, and let your mind and your spirit wander to the special people you hold dear to your heart.
This, below, is what came to my mind.
Forty years ago, when I lived in Honolulu, the University of Hawaii was auditioning for the musical, Man of la Mancha. In summer, as a professional dancer, I had more free time. It was a great opportunity for me to not only dance but also sing and act.
Liliane and Dave in Kiss Me Kate
During one of the earlier rehearsals, the man who played the role of “the Padre” didn’t seem to know how people in Spain make the sign of the cross before a prayer. He looked quite cute in his short shorts (in fashion at the time) and I thought that after rehearsal, this catholic-raised girl could show him how to sign himself properly. I saw it as a great opportunity to get to know him a little bit better. He was very handsome, had a beautiful tenor voice, a great sense of humor, and he had attracted the attention of all of us dancers with the foot massages he offered us during the breaks. He quickly understood that to touch our hearts, to start with our feet was the way to go.
And it was working for me.
This was the start of our dance together through life.
Year after year, decade after decade, our duet continued to leap and twirl throughout many continents where we danced among different cultures and under a variety of climates.
The paths we danced on were beautiful, but sometimes we also had to jump over potholes, navigate rugged terrain, or climb steep slopes. We danced, tripped, fell, got up, helped each other, held each other, resumed our dance, again and again.
We became proud parents and doting grandparents of little ones who render not only our steps but also our hearts lighter
And now, forty years later, our romantic duet is still going strong and evolving on a path that is changing once again.
I now also make words dance on paper, and my beloved dance partner is managing the new choreography leading to my soon to be released book “Winks from Above”.