Moon Dance

Friday was a beautiful spring day! The sky was blue with wispy clouds. It was sunny, warm in the low 60's and the smell of new earth was in the air. What made this particular day so memorable was it's evening. The night air was still warm and beckoned us to come outside. So, after dinner Peter & I slipped on our walking shoes and headed into town for a cup of coffee.

I love our town. The old Victorian homes line both sides of the main street amidst the manicured, budding trees. Historical houses donn the names of early settlers and original town buildings, newly restored, remain active with business life. The downtown bustled with restaurant patrons seeking to reconnect with friends and loved ones. The scents of grilled steak and fries, Italian cuisine and the sound of clinking of glasses of wine all filled the air at once as we walked into the Half Moon Cafe. We weren't the least bit hungry but the brilliant presentation of colors on the plates passing by made us think, "maybe." However, not wanting to be shut up inside, we ordered our Jamaican Blue decaf coffee to "go" and headed back outside.

As the voices of the restaurant crowd diminished we took the first sips of our coffee and quoted one of our favorite jazz tunes, "What a marvelous night for a moon dance...!" And we danced our way to a seclude park bench on the town green. We sat together, sipping coffee and whistling "Moon Dance" to each other while the pressures of the week slipped away. We had one of those conversations when you spend time dreaming of the future with no limits and reminiscing of good times from the past. It was a perfect moment in time; a moment you wish you could replay over and over again.

I think of this as my father lays in a hospital bed in isolation awaiting a diagnosis unknown. I think of my mother whose strength is depleted both physically and emotionally because of him. I thinks of this as I witness the not-so-golden years of my in-laws and visit my lonely widowed aunt who struggles with kidney disease. Do they have a moon dance moment to hang onto? All of these thoughts slip into my mind today as I sit in awe of my husband whom I've loved for almost 3 decades. I pray that if there be a day in the future when one of us must sit in isolation or struggle with life, that we can hold onto the memory of our moon dance and know life is still good even when it comes time to moon dance at the banquet of the Groom.