Dance In This Moment

Anyone else hear the word dance and immediately start singing “I hope you daaaaaance…” by Lee Ann Womack? Just me?!? 

Either way, it has me thinking….

We know we are supposed to dance but when? How often are we truly in the moment?  How often do we work towards a moment and only later realize we missed the actual moments? Moments, plural, since focusing on one singular moment can make us miss the others along the way.  My friend Meghan often reminds me, “the joy is in the journey.”

It’s easy to get caught up in all of the “one day” thoughts and plans.  How often are we waiting and planning for one big moment rather than embracing and enjoying the ones we are in right now?  

My childhood was filled with road trips to South Dakota to visit my grandparents and other family. When my daughter was born, we continued those trips to see my grandma.  Three in the first 13 months of her life.  That didn’t seem crazy at the time.  I was a stay-at-home mom of a new baby and hanging out with my mom for a few days in the car seemed like a better option than being home.  Cue: you know you are a military brat when….

Those road trips were hard (shocker, I know). I remember being so stressed and my mom was the calm voice to remind me that “it won’t always be this way” (usually when my daughter wouldn’t go to sleep at night in a hotel).  

Here we are, 8 years later.  I’m grateful for all of the memories we made with my grandma while she was still here.  What’s funny though is that the other memories that have really shaped me as a parent involve those hours on the road.  

We still reference a lot of it today and laugh at all of the craziness we endured. I can’t say that I enjoyed it in the moment but looking back, I can see how my confidence was built every mile on those highways and I am grateful for taking the trip(s).

I can’t say I danced in the moment at the time but I sure am glad I got on the dance floor.

Maybe dancing in the moment doesn’t always mean we know we are dancing. Maybe it means getting out there and so that we can look back and remember the dance.  

This post is written in partnership with #HerGrowthCollective, encouraging women to walk the path of self-development together.