by Joann Natalia Aquino

"... As an adult, she still reminds me to keep on dancing. But this time, to continue dancing to the music of life. She constantly reminds me that similar to various types of music, there will be sweet sounding tunes, scores of dramatic melodies, and some harsh notes along the way..."

 

Her mother with the author at 1 month old.

Her mother with the author at 1 year old. (pictures 2 and 3)

 

VII. A Tribute to Motherhood: The Dance Lessons My Mother Taught Me

What are your fondest memories of your mother? What types of advice
did your mom give you growing up? What traits did your mother do
when you were a child that you find yourself doing today? What
advices did your mom give you that you would like to share to
others? What would we do without our mother's guidance in our life?

What I know for certain is I would be lost without my mom.

I associate my childhood memories with my mother taking me to ballet
lessons and with her continuously surrounding me with music.
My mom and her entire side of the family are quite musically inclined,
and growing up, music was a big part of our family gatherings.

As a child, I chose to focus on taking dance lessons, instead of
learning how to play a music instrument like the rest of her family.
I supposed that was an early sign for my mother that I would be
the "strong-willed" one in our family. During that time, I
found my dance lessons and ballet performances as a way for my mom
and I to bond and spend quality time together. I cherish those
memories with her. She supported me through and through. She was
always there for me and didn't fail to be there when I needed her
most. Though I wasn't the best ballerina, and regardless of how I
performed, she endlessly encouraged me not to quit and continue to
dance.

As an adult, she still reminds me to keep on dancing. But this time,
to continue dancing to the music of life. She constantly reminds me
that similar to various types of music, there will be sweet sounding
tunes, scores of dramatic melodies, and some harsh notes along the way.
Akin to dancing to music, it's quite easy to move to the
harmonious songs, but it's somewhat of a challenge to bop to the
unpleasant commotions life occasionally brings.

Even to this day I still rely on this advice. Though at times, I may
be limping and hopping with one foot, or crawling my way back up, I
still reflect on all her advice and try to dance-- often with the
same rhythm, hopefully with a different song, learning the patterns
from the old...

There's a song by Leann Womack entitled, "I Hope You
Dance." This song reminds me of my mother's "words of wisdom."
A portion of this song is as follows:
"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat,
But always keep that hunger.
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed.
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean.
Whenever one door closes,
I hope one more opens
Promise me, you'll give fate a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
I hope you dance..."

My mom has been dancing far longer than me, and her dance to these
old songs has continued to inspire me during good and hard moments in
life. Whenever I feel I'm running on empty, I know that I can
count on her to reach out her hand, help me up, and enlighten me to
keep on dancing. Well, I'm still dancing...

I also encourage you that when life's hard knocks challenges your
life, and you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope
you will choose to dance...

Thank you Mama, and to all other phenomenal Moms, for continuously and unconditionally teaching us how to dance.

Happy Mother's Day, everyday.

Here are other articles in the "Peeling the Layers" series:

1. About the Series
2. The Art of Letting Go & Acts of Forgiveness
3. Following Your Heart and Living Your Passions
4. "Why Are You So Angry?": Rage and Anger Management.
5. (will be uploaded soon)
6. (will be uploaded soon)
7. A Tribute to Motherhood: The Dance Lessons My Mother Taught Me
   (ongoing series, please stay-tuned for more to come)