Enjoy the Dance (a guest reflection)
by Lee Johnson, Guest Writer
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain"
Vivian Greene
This quote was highlighted on a very touching Certificate of Completion that my cancer treatment center gave me in commemoration of the end of 37 days of radiation therapy in late December 2021.
The quote made an instant impression when I saw it, when Michelle, a beautifully dedicated and empathetic nurse at the facility, gave the certificate to me as part of the discharge process. I hadn't heard it before, but it seemed very appropriate for the context. I quickly forgot about it, however, as Michelle went over the standard post-treatment instructions and we said our goodbyes.
The next evening was a beautiful, clear, cool, early winter evening. A storm had just passed through, and I was out on the back porch, enjoying the crisp air and the slow revelation of stars in the western sky. Sitting there, I began reflecting on the almost unbelievable events of the past year. I had just recovered from hernia surgery when I was hit by a pickup truck in July while walking in a crosswalk, and then two weeks later learned that my cancer had returned, not to mention the pandemic. I thought about the days to come and at some point, I began meditating, focusing on my breath and on the sensations of the body. Maybe I subconsciously flashed on that quote, but the phrase "Enjoy the Dance" popped into my head.
That phrase seemed at that moment to be the perfect distillation of an effective understanding of life. There are some things we control, but so many more that we do not. Perhaps the key is to view the whole thing, the good, the bad, the indifferent, the pleasure, the pain, the joy, the sorrow, all our endless and myriad experiences, as just different manifestations of the great cosmic Dance of Life, of which we are all an intrinsic and essential part. The tempo may change, some steps may be more difficult than others, and some dips and spins may be frightening or exhilarating. But the point of all these components of The Dance is to create The Dance itself. And the point of The Dance, which is beautiful, and timeless, and holy, is only to express itself, and to be Danced.
It is our task then to recognize and appreciate The Dance for what it is, and to Dance it. To participate in it, and with it, rather than resist it. And to understand that, as with any dance, we dance most easily and most freely when we breathe, relax, lean in, and allow ourselves to be carried and supported by the rhythm, and the music, and the movement. It is only when we begin to give ourselves to The Dance that we truly can begin to enjoy it.
Guest Writer
Lee Johnson recently retired from a career in Public Health and lives in the Central Valley of California, where he is active in community and social justice issues.