Dancing

I was five years old and in kindergarten, I remember this because the crossing guard would always make my sister and I play games with her on the way home but on this particular day I was given strict instructions to come right home from school, and we went courtesy of my grandparents downtown Chicago to see the play of Annie. Both Elizabeth and I adored it, and my grandparents even bought the music on a record. I remember being in my grandparents living room and asking someone to put the record on the record player and just dancing. Twirling and leaping, spinning and striding, around the living room to the song "Tomorrow" was a ritual for Sunday afternoons after church. I can remember feeling so free and like a real dancer on a stage performing for the entire theater. My family always enthusiastically applauded and my Grandpa shouted "Bravo."

Today, Stephen and I were finishing some projects in the bonus room. We bought a closet system that we were trying to finish putting together for toy and book storage. With a two year old under foot, it was a bit stressful to keep all of the pieces out of his hands so Stephen put on some music. Benjamin just started to dance. He spun and twirled, kicked his legs and flailed his arms all while smiling and laughing. Here is a snippet of his dance. It so brought me back to my days of dancing to the songs of Annie in my grandparents living room. There is just something about dancing and childhood that brings smiles and memories.