"Life may not always play the music we ask for, but while we're here we might as well dance."

~Unknown

I thought since I seemed to be the only one who has not joined the blog world--I would. So, HERE I AM! I suppose, its a great way to get my life and thoughts in writing. I've been told this is good for oneself. So, here goes.

Last night I sat in my room and had one of those heart to heart conversations with one of my best friends. We are both in the same boat; seniors and not quite sure what to do when we leave the safety of our Benedictine bubble. We both want to be able to go out in the world, to give it all we have, but not sure in which way to do it, there are so many possibilites. It's an amazing privelege to have those opportunities, yet there are times that they become frustrations as well. Knowing you have love to give the world, but not being sure how to give it--is not an easy question to be faced with. I am reminded of the song "Dancin' with Dreams" *note the title of my blog* by Phil Vassar. It has given me a whole new outlook, the image of dancing with all these dreams and how everyone is meant to do something different, yet you are still joined in those journeys, is awesome.

I've been lucky, I've been blessed with a special person in my life who is constantly challenging me to "dance." S. Julia (that would be her in the picture with me) is one of my angels, for this I am sure. She has taught me to embrace the heart, encouraged my love for adventure, and ignited my spirit to "dance" through it all. She herself was a dancer and many times spoke to me of the sacredness of dancing, that in itself, dancing is a prayer of thanks to God. So, if you dance your whole life through, in the good and the bad, your whole life will be a prayer of thanks to God. She often reminds me that I worry to much about what I am going to do and where I am going to be, encouraging me to live in the "pauses"; the still moments of life where there is nothing, where it seems to be silent, where uncertainty lies, reassuring me that is where the answers will be heard. I have found that is right, when the time comes we will know, until then live in the pause and embrace the adventure of the unknown. When I think about it as an adventure, it makes me excited, I have deeper appreciation for not having all the answers. So, as many are, right now I am doing my best to dance in the "pause." The good news is that we never have to dance alone--we have our family, our friends, our mentors, and our earth angels to help us through--and with no doubt we will. Please say some prayers of strength for S. Julia. She has that dreaded C-word, that we all are being faced with in some way or another. Even as she faces the ultimate uncertainty, her love for dancing and adventure is so present. As she told me "I dancing in my finale. Only to have an eternal encore in Heaven, a dance in eternal adventure." May we all have the strength to dance with her on this journey and be reassured that her dance won't stop here. I promised her I would always be "dancin' with dreams" as a thank you to both God and Julia---my powerhouses of strength and love. So---we all should take a lesson from Julia, no matter what life brings us, DANCE!