Several weeks ago, I gave a list of my top ten thanksgivings. Week by week, I’m taking on each thanksgiving and expounding upon it, starting with God, then my husband. This should have been the week I told you all about my fur baby, Jessie, and why I’m so thankful for her, but I’m going to interrupt the regularly scheduled programming with something unplanned. Since I completed my year-long resolution to find something to be thankful for every day and report those thanksgivings weekly, I’m going to take advantage of the freedom I now have with Thankful Thursdays and give you something that wasn’t on the “schedule,” and hopefully I’ll see you back next week for Jessie’s time in the spotlight!
Slow Dance
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to rain slapping the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun fading into the night?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
Do you run through each day on the fly,
when you ask “How are you?”, do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,
’cause you never had time to call and say hi?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
it’s like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life isn’t a race, so take it slower,
hear the music before your song is over.
When I read this poem, I thought about how I’m always in a hurry to get where I’m going and deplore the ride. I hate driving, so Dennis always drives if we’re going together, and he then drives me crazy by observing everything around him instead of watching the road and going the speed limit. In an on-going battle with myself to be a better wife, I try to hold my tongue, but I’m still on edge, wishing he’d just hurry up and drive and stop reading the signs or pointing out things he sees along the way.
The poem is right-on. Life is so short, why am I in such a hurry that I can’t enjoy every part of the ride?
So last night, when we were both home together, which is a rare and joyful thing, and we were both getting ready to take Jessie for a walk, Dennis happened to push “play” on the CD that was in the stereo. I had put in Shania Twain’s Come on Over CD in earlier to find a song on it for a specific reason. I had meant to remove the CD and forgot, so when I heard Shania blasting from the speakers, I knew this was the perfect time to enact my plan that the “Slow Dance” poem inspired, even if Dennis was half-clothed and Jessie was waiting for her walk.
I skipped the track to “From This Moment On” and joined him in the office, where he was sitting and ready to slip on his shoes. I took his hands and brought him to stand in front of me. He was smiling at me but I could tell he was wondering what I was up to. “This was the first song we were supposed to dance to as husband and wife, remember?” I asked. We had both loved the song, but forgot the CD and our DJ ended up choosing a different song for us (Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Garden). We had never gotten the opportunity to dance to the song we had picked out.
Dennis laughed, and we embraced, and made a slow circle in the cramped & messy office as Shania Twain and Bryan White crooned in beautiful harmony. We stepped on each others feet, we laughed, we kissed, and we cried together, knowing how blessed we are to have each other.
It was probably the most romantic thing we’ve ever done, and I’m so glad I took the time to slow dance with my husband to that song for the first time in our lives, eleven years after we married. Though this speeding through life thing has become pretty engrained in me, I’m thankful for the poem that inspired me to slow down and take time to slow dance, and hope that I will keep it in mind next time Dennis almost swerves off the road while pointing out a hawk sitting on a fence post. :)
Veronica's Cornucopia 
How sweet!!!
LikeLike
Wow. Beautiful post! And ohhh so true! We DO need to slow down and smell the roses of our lives, huh? We should do that next time we are together! (Which is sorta rare with our work schedules too). When we are together, it is after work, or when doing errands, or when we are sleeping. I will have to listen to that song, sometime, sounds beautiful!
Thanks for this very important reminder! Hugs and Merry Christmas to you and yours, Happy New Year, too!:)
LikeLike
aw, this is SO sweet! I love it. Very glad you finally danced to that song :)
LikeLike
I really love the words to that song. They’re seriously giving me pause to reflect on how I’m living day to day, and what I’m rushing through. I tend to view it as a positive thing when I can say “my day went by fast”–but is that really so great?? And the part about calling friends and keeping friendships–there’s a particular friend I really need to take the time to call during the holidays. This was the perfect reminder/nudge.
I’m so glad you were inspired to create that romantic moment. Yay!!!
LikeLike
Veronica–
You never cease to amaze me and inspire me! That poem really hit home with me as I am rushing around today to clean house; separate, organize and pack up gifts; start thinking about what foods I want to take where; etc.
You are prompting me to be spontaneous and care-free in the next week. This came at a great time as our anniversary is coming up soon!
Take care and have a blessed holiday!
LikeLike
I like the poem and yes, we probably all should slow down sometimes. I’ve been cleaning my house after work, so when my Christmas vacation comes I can relax and visit friends/have friends over. I’m glad you got to dance to your song after all :)
LikeLike
Love that you’ve been together 11 years too! Love that you slow danced – this post made me smile from ear to ear Veronica! Hugs to you and Dennis! :D
LikeLike
Wow! I just fell in love with that poem! I printed it to put on my fridge. I need that reminder. It is now my New Year’s resolve to slow down. I am always rushing… sometimes I am not even sure why. “From This Moment” wasn’t our first dance at our wedding, but it is the song we played during our wedding. I love it! So glad you took the time to dance to it after all these years. Those impromptu moments are some of the best! Thank you so much for sharing!
LikeLike
Just wanted to give a quick reply, it’s almost time to pick you up from work. DancingwithyouthatslowwasgreatandIamsorrythatItakethingstooslowforyourfastpacedlife.IdecidedthatmaybeIshouldbequicker,liketakingallspacesoutof… Oh cool A hawk just flew by the window!
LikeLike
Also something in this post reminded me of what I use to say. People who are in a hurry must just be in a hurry to met their death. After saying that for years I finally figured out what I meant. Those in a rush are not enjoying “now” so they must be in a hurry to get to “then” and the only “then” that everyone has in their life is death.
LikeLike
How very touching. Glad you were able to capture the moment together. You both will probably always treasure your dance together. What a true gift to give – each other!
LikeLike
14 or 15 years ago I came across these words and liked them so much I decided to put them to music (as others songs I have done) I was thinking of sending this one and others to a publisher as Im not doing much with this CORVID pandemic. So do you want to hear it first and my other songs or shall I send it straight to a publisher..Could you also tell me who was it that wrote the words to this.
LikeLike