The Last Dance
the beginning
I imagine a night of close friends and family around a fireplace in a home of warmth and beauty, wine glass in one hand, classical in the background, engaging in an intellectual and heart-warming conversation – about the world around us, the world within us, and the corners of the world we each take part in.
I don’t want to end this year with a party. I don’t want to dance the night away. I want a reflective social gathering, from which we can all learn from one another, laugh at the idiosyncrasies of the so-called life, be more in touch with compassion, and be just a little deeper than yesterday.
**
In 1963 John W. Gardner wrote in Self-Renewal:
“Life is harsh, but it has always been harsh. The only sensible view of life is, and always has been, based on a clear-eyed recognition – not necessarily acceptance – of the elements of tragedy, irony and absurdity in life. It is based too on a recognition of one’s own limitations and weaknesses, the inexorable facts of the life cycle and all the sorrows, irrationalities and indignities that afflict the flesh and the spirit.”
A lot has changed since the 60s, but life – the concept of it, the complexity of it, the depth of it – has stood the test of time.
**
Somewhere within us, we are all looking for a conclusion at this time of the year. Perhaps it’s about hope; perhaps it’s about proving to ourselves that the last 364 days have meant something, that they have served a purpose greater than ourselves; and perhaps it’s simply a philosophical thirst that cannot be easily quenched.
I don’t think it is hope, proof, or a philosophical quest at hand. I think it is being at peace we’re looking for; it is the desire to be at ease that we’re looking to fulfill – a calming sensation so unforgivingly rare and so unattainably precious.
Rob Bell wrote in Sex God, ”Sexy is when it feels good to be in your own skin. Your own body feels right, it feels comfortable. Sexy is when you love being you.” It is the same with being at peace.
To be at peace is to be brutally honest with who we are,
to not only embrace our weaknesses, but to build upon them;
to not only be fearless in our pursuits, but to find wisdom in our failures.
It is the ability to face uncertainties with a graceful resolve,
to explore and be connected with our inner selves,
to differentiate between happiness and desire,
to separate our identity with our possessions,
to know the difference between being weak and being vulnerable,
and most importantly,
to believe in ourselves beyond all reasonable doubt.
It is more than a state of mind – it is a way of living – it is a mission that we are all part of.
***
There is something about the last dance – the closing of a trial, the grand finale of a drama, the last glimpse of a sunset, the last day of the year – it’s the handshake that marks the first impression, yet it’s the farewell hug that inks the lasting impression.
May your last dance be graceful, beautiful, and peaceful.
