GIVING FAITH A FIGHTING CHANCE
“Give
the heavens above
more
than a passing glance.”
From
the song ‘I Hope You Dance’
Many
years ago, there was this student of mine, who was excellent in her studies and
a very talented dancer. She loved almost all forms of dance, although, being South
Indians, her family had, by default, wanted her to pursue ‘Bharatanatyam’. But,
my student was passionate about dancing – just dancing!
Incidentally, this young girl
was very fond of my writings, particularly the short pieces written like poems
(I still don’t understand what poetry means… I just write!). So, on the last
day of her class, she wanted me to write something in her scrapbook (Do young
kids still keep them?)… I wrote the famous line from Lee Ann Womack’s song – ‘I Hope You Dance’!
Then, I played the song for
her on my PC…
The young girl was in tears,
by the time the song was over. “Thank you, Sir… Thank you so, so much, for everything,”
she said, with a warm hug…
It’s about twelve years since
I wrote that line in my student’s scrapbook and bid her goodbye. Since then, a thousand
things must’ve happened in this girl’s life… the happy ones, the sad ones, the exhilarating ones, the frustrating ones… yes, like they happen in everyone’s life. I wonder,
sometimes: Is the young girl still dancing?
‘Dancing’ is just a metaphor
of life. The song is much beyond dancing on our feet… Just listen to Tia Sillers telling us what made her write those inspiring lines with such beauty and healing
touch:
Look, what an amazing irony it
is! You and I can write such refreshing
and uplifting lines even when completely broken – and down! You and I can still
dance! Yes, still dance!
Every line in that song has
come from the pit of sorrow and hopelessness… But, it has come because, one has
kept feeling small standing under God’s glorious sky… beside the majestic oceans and before the humbling mountains…
And, in such an overwhelming feeling
alone, we can experience the strength and the beauty that lies dormant within…
In such an experience alone, we can realize how small all our sorrows and
heartbreaks are… How silly it is to give up our ‘dancing’ just because the heart
is presently broken… How important it is ‘to give the heaven above more than a
passing glance’!
When I
wrote those words – ‘I Hope You dance’ – for my young student, I wanted her to ‘live
well’, ‘give well’, and as the song urges, I wanted her to give ‘faith a fighting
chance’…
‘Dancing’ is just a metaphor of
life… When we get a choice to sit it out or dance, I hope, we dance!
Yes, I hope, we dance...
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic’s: pixabay
2. countrysongdemos
Comments