A dance with Meadow

Perhaps it was the way the sun was shining today, or the way a warm breeze touched my face. A memory came to mind. It was last spring or last summer when I had taken Meadow (almost 5, or just 5) and Oak (6) for a ride on the Southern Belle along the Tennesse River. Not many were on the little boat for the short river tour that day. We sat at the very back of the deck. The guide gave information about what we were passing and then some lively music came on. No one was looking our way and Meadow got up and started to twirl and dance, with the deck as her stage and the river and mountains in the background. A spontaneous expression of a child's light-hearted joy. I wish I didn't have such a hard time moving around, but had been able to get up and twirl (in my totally ungraceful way) and participate in those moments with her. She would have been too young to be embarassed. And it wouldn't have bothered me if anyone had noticed a rather eccentric Nana. But then, as I remember, I think I did dance with her in those happy moments, at least part of me did. The part of my heart that belongs to Meadow.