I have had so many thoughts regarding the events that have transpired over the last few days in my hometown of Orlando, Florida. I have learned a lot and taken a lot of solace in watching how my children handle such a tragedy. While they don’t know the details, they understand that we are all very sad and that good people passed away because a bad person was very angry. My daughter simply countered the idea of such anger with the wonderful thought that the guy may not have been so angry if someone had given him hug. She said that when she is very angry, a hug always makes her feel better and the anger goes away. I wish that the answer was so easy. Maybe it can be, and we as adults forget that it can be.

When my niece was born, her mother heard the song “I hope you dance” by Lee Ann Womack and said that that would be her song. As a mother, she decided that those words perfectly described the life she dreamed up for her daughter. She had no way of knowing anything about what her daughter’s future would hold, but all of her hopes and dreams for a future were wrapped up in the lyrics to this song. She had no way to know who her baby would be. All she knew is that she wanted her to be happy, and to live her life with hope, love, and joy. When I first learned what happened here in Orlando at Pulse nightclub, one of my first thoughts was of this song.

What I would like to tell my children, your children, and those who lost their children during the horrific attacks on Pulse is to dance. I am thankful that our friends who spent their last evening on Earth had such a wonderful act be one of their last. They danced without abandon surrounded by friends, enjoying life to it’s fullest, and not caring if anyone was watching.

Thank you to Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers for these perfect lyrics that will hopefully inspire us moving forward.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance….I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin’ might mean takin’ chances but they’re worth takin’,
Lovin’ might be a mistake but it’s worth makin’,
Don’t let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin’ out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance….I hope you dance.
I hope you dance….I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Dance….I hope you dance.

CoryStrong dance GLBT love motherhood opinion Orlando OrlandoStrong tragedy