The dance.

My mom used to laminate everything. I mean EVERYTHING. Any time any of my friends or classmates were in the newspaper she would cut it out, put on a nice thick backing, and laminate the heck out of the article. It was always slightly embarrassing to approach kids at school with the article all shiny and perfectly cut out. I thought for sure I was going to pass out from embarrassment when I handed it to them.

Mom would also cut out poems and quotes that resonated with her. She often would copy (and of course laminate) them for me. They would collect dust somewhere in a drawer because, while I never really appreciated them fully, I felt terrible just tossing them in the trash. After all, she did feel as though the words were important to hear.

One poem shot into my mind today while I was visiting mom at the assisted living facility where she lives. "Slow dance" was a poem she gave me as I was heading off to college. It was beautifully laminated and typed in a cursive script on the best possible paper. I read through it and realized this was more than a poem, it was a plea from her to me. Honestly, it didn't fully resonate then.

Today while visiting mom we stopped for an ice cream break with the rest of the residents. The nurse turned on some music and mom and I decided to slow dance with one another like we used to do so many times in our kitchen when I was growing up. The song "I'll be seeing you" by Billie Holliday came on and we were off.

While driving home today I suddenly remembered the poem mom laminated for me almost 10 years ago. It finally made sense to me in a way it didn't then.

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids

on a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain

slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading 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'd 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 seen his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,

Let a good friendship die

'Cause you never had time

To call and say "Hi"?

You'd better slow down

Don't dance so fast

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 is like an unopened gift...Thrown away...

Life is not a race

Do take it slower

Hear the music

Before the song is over.

I promise to slow down, mama. Especially if it means that I will get to enjoy more time each day dancing with you.