i hope you dance

She sat alone her dance card empty dressed spritely with gloves and long sleeves her hair speckled with gray surrounding her face with a bit of powder. With downcast eyes her fingers fidgeted the blank slate she held before her, feeling again loneliness and rejection. It was not always this way. The old ones say she was beautiful in her youth and the boys formed a line hoping for a chance to hold her, be close to her, a chance to dance. Her eyes gleamed as her face radiated happiness, throwing her head back enjoying uninhibited laughter. Even then she only had eyes for him, her Jordan, Jordan Jamison. Impatiently waiting his turn she twirled and glided across the floor in her beautiful dress of white chenille and purple satin, the belle of the ball. Whispering in Jordan’s ear when he finally got his chance, ‘I wrote your name on my card for the last dance’. Blushing he nodded with longing eyes and waited for the boys in the band to announce the last chance to hold your sweetheart tight, the last dance of the night. It had been a wonderful hoedown, a special occasion for this small midwestern town of hardworking folks, farmers and ranchers. It was a slow dance and he held her close unaware of anyone else as they melded together two hearts as one. Looking up they didn’t see the roof of the building but a starry canopy and magic in the air so lost in love.

The night after saying their vows they consummated their love on a 500 acre ranch and a house they built and designed together. Had three bedrooms and a great room, covered porch with a view to the sunset and every amenity they could afford. It was warm and welcoming and Jordan took great joy in providing anything for Julia’s happiness. She on her part was not afraid to get her hands dirty and worked along side her husband doing anything that needed to be done, happy to be in his presence. Their little corner of heaven prospered and grew as two children were added to the crew. First John and then Jenny, the new parents radiating such joy with the wonder of it all. They faced every challenge with faith and resolve trusting God for the strength and wisdom they would need.

No one knows how it started. It was the smoke that first awoke Julia as she screamed ‘fire’! Jordan suddenly became fully conscious and reached for the knob on the door his hand automatically retracting from the burning heat. Yelling at Julia he said, ‘take the chair and break the glass in the window! Be careful to put a blanket on the bottom seal and cautiously get out. I’ll get the children and return to you. Wait for me outside the window’! Covering the door handle he raced into the smokey hall and into the children’s rooms. Opening the doors he was met with flames and despite the heat gathered both his young babes into his arms and rushed to Julia. Entering their bedroom Julia screamed for him to hand her the children and then get out. Laying them on the ground a safe distance away she turned back to the house but saw no husband. Terrified she reached the window their room now ablaze and saw Jordan with one hand on the seal collapsed on the floor. With super human strength that often comes with crisis she reached inside grabbing both his arms and pulled him out of the window and away from the fire.

Next morning the nearest neighbors, Frank and Anne, arrived and were met with what remained of a once happy home. Shocked they saw only smoke blackened ashes, chimney rock, and a skeletal frame. Momentarily stunned they stared at the scene before Anne now fully aroused jumped down calling ‘Julia, Julia, Jordan’! hearing only an empty refrain. Frantically Frank and Anne called peering into the smoke and embers seeing no human forms. Then they ran around the back and softly and reverently walked up to the bodies on the ground. Julia lay on top of the charred corpse of her husband and nearby in silent reverie lay the dead bodies of the children. Kneeling down next to Julia, Anne felt for and found a pulse. Looking into Frank’s eyes she spoke, ‘she’s alive, Help me pull her off’. Tearing her away Julia groaned her hands holding ever so tight to what remained of her husband. Gently they lifted her seeing pieces of Jordan’s seared flesh in her fingers. Carrying her to the bed of the wagon they placed her on a blanket as Anne sat beside her with tears freely flowing all the way to Doc’s and town. Julia’s arms and hands were badly burned and blistered and one side of her face, though not as severe. In time she would get past the pain but the scars would always remain, those of the heart never to heal.

Julia lay for days bandaged and medicated against her pain. She dwelt in a place between heaven and earth searching for Jordan and the children but they were not to be found. So off she fluttered with the wings of the morning finally finding them in a garden with glorious colors, birds, and a stream. It was beautiful and her family was there with no scarred images only perfect delight. She laid her head in Jordan’s lap finding comfort as the kids played close by. Softly he spoke to her in a love language not known on earth, words inscribed upon the heart. She would survive but carry the scars evident on her flesh, and hidden in her heart.

Julia sold the farm and moved to town, living alone in a simple cottage uncluttered and orderly. Having no one to care for she looked and found ways to help those in need but lived a closet life of loneliness and longing, putting on a front like the flowers that graced her porch, to hide the one within. The pain of loneliness greater than any terminal disease that might claim her body. Yet she was buoyanted by the memory of a garden and sweet caresses.

Now much older she sat and watched the young ladies giggling and flirtatious glancing at their cards and whispering tremulous tidbits in each others ears. One couple in particular caught her eye as he impatiently awaited his chance to dance with his ‘l’amour de sa vie’. She watched as the girl was perfectly radiant and then whispered something to the young man soliciting a blush and smile ear to ear. And Julia remembered……livin’ might mean takin’ chances, the future uncertain, life offerin’ no guarantees. Lovin’ might cost you everything you cherish, but it’s the right decision worth makin’. Tell me who wants to look over the years of their life having never taken love’s leap of faith and wonder where all those lost years have gone.

Anne and Frank’s son and wife were thoroughly enjoying themselves on the dance floor when Naomi spoke, ‘look Dawson’ and pointed with her eyes and head to ‘Moms’ as she was now known. ‘She’s sitting alone and lonely holding her dance card with both hands with no takers’. ‘I can do something about that’ he said and spread the word to some of the wranglers. Then going over to Moms who was focusing on the floor, he said ‘Moms your card please. May I have the next dance’? She looked up with the most beautiful angelic expression, the soft caress of heaven in her tear filled eyes and simply said, ‘I’d love to dance’. Then before Dawson could hand the card back to her five more cowboys stood in line to sign her card. Now with a knowing smile she said, ‘thanx boys for making this night so special’.

Moms laughed and teased bantering with the boys and showed the youngin’s a move or two on the dance floor making the audience clap and howl. Exhausted but exhilarated she sat down with her head held high, cheeks flushed, and breathed deeply with a smile that would be long departin’. ‘Look Dawson’ Naomi whispered as Colonel Proctor approached Moms and spoke. ‘You and I have been alone and lonely for far to long. I aim with your permission to put an end to that’. ‘But’ Moms began to interject before the colonel put his hands up to stop her. ‘I know about your scars and I’ve a plenty myself. What I see is a beautiful lady with a heart of gold and riches untold’. Then extending his hand he said, ‘will you do me the pleasure and join me for the next dance’? Locking with the colonel’s eyes she paused and then smiled beaming and said, ‘Colonel, it would be my delight’.

Moms is not lonely any more and the colonel was heard saying, ‘what took me so long to come to my senses. She is a rare jewel in the King’s crown, my princess’.

For once upon a time because Julia had experienced love in a way so few have ever imagined, that Moms was willing to take the chance and dance once again…..

‘I hope you never loose your sense of wonder

You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger

May you never take one single breath for granted

God forgive love ever leaves you empty handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens

Promise me you’ll give faith a fightin’ chance

And when you get the chance to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance…….. I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Living might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’

Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’

Don’t let some hell bent heart make you bitter

When you come close to selling out, reconsider

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance

And when you get the chance to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance(time is a wheel in constant motion)

I hope you dance(always rolling us along)

I hope you dance(tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder)

I hope you dance(where have all those years gone’?)

I truly hope you take the hand that is offered……and dance!

Author’s note: This story and others are what we call ‘blog stories’. Concise, condensed with no fillers, constant repetition, and trivial conversation. A message is given every time with brevity, thus delivered more powerfully. And perhaps it’s more about the feelings and connection on some level than it is about the words, or the amount of words. Blog stories are like mid day snacks or a read to help you get to sleep when you first go to bed. Better than TV Trash and something good for your mind to muse on.

So read on!

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