A little bit of joy

I received this lovely gift today from one amazing woman who has encouraged, mentored, and inspired me for the last five years. I certainly did not know when I first met her that she would become one of my biggest cheerleaders.

I moved back home to Richmond five years ago for a job, not for dance. Dance, however, became the steadying force of my life again, thanks to my proximity and attachment to my mother’s dance class. I did not see myself as a dancer, and I certainly did not see any paths for me to grow as a dancer at that time. But I was home, and I was working at a job that gave me the flexibility to be able to continue my practice, so I spent evenings at dance class.

During summers, I would show up earlier (ish) to work, so that I could leave earlier (ish) and make it to summer camps. I say ish because anyone who knows me knows my absolutely dismal planning skills when it comes to travel time. I distinctly remember her ordering me out of the office on more than one occasion so that I could make it to the class in time.

Tammy, thank you for everything you do for me. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with you all these years. And, it means everything that when you saw a bracelet etched with “dance.”, you thought of me.