Birthday Story For A Six-Year-Old

WHEN LIBBY DANCES

by
Grandma Baadsgaard
Happy sixth Birthday Libby.
I hope you know how much I love you

            
             Libby is fabulously captivating when she dances.

            When Libby hears music, the melody moves deep inside her. Then the song travels through her until it reaches her fingers and her toes.

Libby begins . . .   

stretching

gliding

twirling

dipping

rising

soaring

One afternoon at Grandma’s house, Libby’s sister Emily played a melody so entrancing that a hush fell over the chaos of chattering in the living room. Sleepy grandparents, joking uncles, emotional aunts and wrestling cousins suddenly stopped and listened.

           

Then Libby stepped into the living room dressed in a purple satin dress. She stood quietly in the middle of room. No one was expecting a grand performance but Libby’s posture and poise held the bearing of royalty.  

“Oh, Libby dear,” Grandma urged from the sofa, “will you dance for us?”

Libby listened carefully until the music flowing from her sister’s fingers circled like star dust inside, around, above and beneath her. Then Libby’s arms rose like soft wings. Gentle lilting music flowed through her like a thousand fairy wings. The mystical melody spun her higher and higher in a spiral of movement. Falling stars and soft breezes whispered through Libby’s outstretched arms and graceful fingers.

sailing

swaying

lingering

spinning

flying

whirling

As Libby danced she summoned forth long forgotten memories. Grandma and Grandpa remembered whirling together on the dance floor at their high school junior prom. Uncomfortable uncles remembered their knightly duties in a long ago club house war. Adoring aunts remembered their first kiss outside on a starlit night. Combative cousins didn’t know why they wanted to stop wrestling, be quiet and watch.   

As the family watched Libby dance, they simply could not hold back their spontaneous applause. Like a choir of angels rejoicing on cue, Libby’s grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins joined in a chorus of hand clapping to hail the queen . . . the magnificent gift of Libby.

Flushed and glowing Libby smiled then bowed.

Someday, if you are very fortunate, you too might to see a little girl in a purple satin dress dancing in the living room on a lazy Sunday evening. And then you will know for sure that there is still great delight and enchantment in this world.

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