Do you dance?

As I waited to board the plane on my way to Phoenix, I noticed a couple sitting across from me. The gentlemen was a tall, handsome gray headed man probably 50 or so and his wife, I assume, dressed in a cute pink top, a smile that radiated and a head with no hair. Cancer, I am sure.

I couldn’t help but wonder what type of cancer she had and if she was in remission or if she was fighting the disease. As I sat and waited to board, it was not hard to recognize the love the two had for each other. Sitting closely, holding hands, conversing back and forth, leaning their head on each other and even a kiss or two. Just in a few minutes, they probably shared more intimate moments than many of us do in a whole day, week or even possibly a lifetime!

My thoughts begin to wander with each look they gave each other, each kiss and each embrace. The good things at first like: were they going on a trip to see children, were they going on a vacation, maybe they had been to treatment and it was a great success and they were so happy with the outcome. Then the more somber thoughts like they only knew they had a little amount of time left together, possibly the cancer was incurable and they were enjoying the last few days, weeks or months they may have together.

So we boarded and I soon found my spot at the back of the plane. A bird’s eye view, maybe they wouldn’t notice me so entranced with the shear intimacy they were sharing. Both pointing and looking at the airplane window, he giving her soft pecks on the cheek, laughing with each other and putting his arm around her. She looking at him, like he was her knight in shining armor.
I am sure that they both have faced the reality of dealing with this deadly disease. The fear and angst that comes with any life and death diagnosis like cancer, can cause a person to really take a look at what is important in life. It really made me wonder why then is it so hard for us each day to not enjoy the same love they were experiencing. Like those songs go, “Live like you were dying,” or “If you get the chance to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance, I hope you dance.” Why is it so hard for us “to dance”? I can think of many times, I “sit it out” instead of “dancing”. Was it because of fear, anger, worry or complacency? Did we just not have the energy or the time? Were we so caught up in our life and what makes us happy, that we never took the time to be a blessing to others?

I don’t know how much time the lady in the pink shirt with the radiant smile might have to live. I’m not sure if her husband is just so joyful that he has more time with her or if he is spending the last few days he does have being the husband that maybe he hasn’t been for the last few years. Who knows? The time she has could be 10 years or it could be 10 days. Does it really matter? Should we be concerned how many days we have on this earth? God tells us that we have an eternal home. That this world is not our home. We are like pilgrims in a foreign land. God tells us that he formed us before we were in the womb and he knows each day that we will be presented. So why do we worry about tomorrow? Why don’t we live each day as the true gift it is, a gift from God. Is it possible that we could share more, give more and love more? Is it possible that we could “live like we were dying” or take that “dance” each day.

I’m thankful that God opened my eyes and my heart to the world around me. That he is showing me daily it so much more than me and more about Him. Thank you God for the lady in the pink shirt, radiant smile and bald head.