beside you

Am remembering this moment from a long time ago —

The sweetness of leaning into someone you love.

And that, actually, is how I feel when I’m dancing - that sweet moment of leaning into and touching all that I love most.

The complexity, and also simplicity of all of us reaching out to connect, in whatever manner, we are able:

I’m remembering when Glen and I were in Ireland together, about a year after the fire (so must have been 2004) and we were staying at a friend’s house. The daughter, who has down syndrome, was probably 5 years-old at the time.

Every morning she’d make her way down the stairs to where we were sleeping, in the basement of their farm house. She would climb into bed with us, and then ask, in a loud whisper, “Beside you? Beside you?” We’d murmur yes in our half sleep state, and she’d snuggle in between us, then whisper one more time, more quietly now, “Beside you.” Contented, she’d sigh, close her eyes, and fall fast asleep.

We were all in the car one time during our visit, and the daughter was in the back seat with us.  She turned toward Glen, opened her mouth wide, and leaned in for a kiss.

Her mom, who was driving, yelled from the front seat:

“I’ve told you already — NO OPEN MOUTH KISSING. Close your mouth RIGHT NOW and ask Glen if it is okay to give him kiss. If he says yes, you can give him a CLOSED MOUTH KISS on the cheek. If he says no, then NO KISSING.”

All this is being said as the daughter’s mouth remains open, wide, and she is still leaning in toward Glen.

It is only after all of the the instructions have been given that she closes her mouth.

“But I love him Mommy.”

“I know you do. We all do. But ask first, and only if he says yes can you give him a closed mouth kiss on the cheek.”

“Glen, can I close mouth kiss you?”

“Yes, on the cheek.”

And she does.

Then she leans into him, hooks her arm through his, and murmurs softly to herself “Beside you, beside you, beside you.”

Her mom catches Glen’s eyes in the rear view mirror, “Sorry” she mouths, and later will tell us that her daughter has been trying to open mouth kiss her entire family after seeing a movie with open mouth kissing in it.

“No problem” Glen mouths back, as he too nestles in beside.



Shall we do a dance mission!?

How about this:

DANCE FOR A LONG TIME TODAY AND WITH LOVE BECAUSE OH MY GOD WHAT ELSE IS THERE BUT THAT?


With Warmth,
Joanna
of
Joanna and The Agitators
sweetly agitating/persistently upending
www.joannaandtheagitators.com