Keep Dancing

KEEP DANCING.

This has become our rallying cry.

We have always loved dancing – as we were growing up, kitchen dance parties were frequent. Dance is healing, strengthening. It can be a prayer. It can step in when words fail, release emotions, tap into a bubbling spring of joy. Dance is medicine.

In the days following Leah’s accident, we had to do everything we could to keep her arm and hand muscles from completely deteriorating. She had been directed to do arm exercises every hour – not an easy task when every muscle in your body is aching with deep pain. So we cranked up the music and had ICU dance parties. Sometimes a nurse would join in. Dance was vital, just like IV drips and wound care.

Leah continued to dance during rehab and dances now that she’s home. Her wheelchair dancing is a sight to behold.  She danced with her husband after their glorious wedding earlier this summer and we make sure to have some sister dance parties whenever we’re together.

The design for this card sprung out of a collaboration that we created along with our brother, Stephen, when Leah was in rehab. This “keep dancing” message was put onto beautiful mugs and bracelets which so many wonderful people bought through a fundraiser to help Leah purchase adaptive equipment.

We wanted to give it continued life in the form of a print that you can color before sending. We’ve colored these in with a bunch of mediums and the paper works well with everything we’ve thrown at it:  watercolor, colored pencils, marker, gel pens, gouache – the world’s your oyster!

When life hands you a whole lemon farm, set up the biggest lemonade stand you possibly can and dance baby, dance.