By: Reign Boxley-Martin
“[Bey] has 100,000 amazing songs…Yeah, [we] dance to [them] in our socks!”
–Rapper Jay-Z mentions during an interview with Angie Martinez of New York’s Hot 97.
 |
What a wonderful reminder this was for me to just let my hair down and enjoy the life that the Almighty saw fit to bless me with. As I read this statement, I couldn’t help but wonder when or why I had stopped dancing in my socks. Was it when my siblings and I suddenly lost my father 3 years ago, almost 4 months shy of his 48th birthday? Was it when the economy went to hell, and all of a sudden it took twice as much money to keep the cars gassed up or the fridge full of food? Was it when I found myself unhappy in my 9-to-5? I honestly can’t pinpoint the when or why, but it happened.
I have to commend Jay-Z and Bey for taking the time to focus on life and for sharing this tidbit of information with the world. Some of you are going to say that they have the financial means to be able to create a happy life. Does being a billionaire have anything to do with it? No, it doesn’t, simply because enjoying life as we know it doesn’t always require a lot of money. Someone, please tell me how dancing around the house or spending quality chill time with a loved one will cost you anything more than time, maybe a few bucks and a few laughs…I dare you.
 |
Often times, we tend to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and truly forget to live. The fact is that this world has always, and will continue to be a hard place to be for most of us. When we get caught up in the stresses of life, we tend to let go of the things that bring us the most happiness…there’s something wrong with that picture. Creating a balanced life is not about having a ton of money, friends or material things. It actually starts with being able to put the negative to the side for a moment, and taking the time to unwind despite your current situation. Working towards a more balanced life will give you the physical and mental capacity to work towards creating the life that you want to have. In the meantime, focus on being the best you that you can be, and continue to strive to create a lifetime of moments where you find yourself dancing in your socks.
 |
While we are all upset, discouraged and saddened by the events involving the murder of Trayvon Martin, I am hoping that it has ignited a fight within all to continue to live life to the fullest, enjoying each day as though it is your last. Many of us initially saw this as yet another thing that we’ll have to worry about, and it is. Our country has taken yet another turn in the wrong direction. However, it is how we handle it and apply it to our lives that will make all the difference. Allowing hatred and ignorance to get the best of us is not the answer. Know that there are things that we can do to bring awareness to the situation, but that it is equally important to lead by example by showing our youth that it is possible to have a normal, happy, balanced life, regardless of stereotypes and stigmas that have/will continue to plague our communities for years to come. Strive to live a life that is so different from the stereotype that we begin to change the perception within our own communities, which will then make us stronger as a people.
 |
This has to start in our homes. How many of you want to look back on your 50th wedding anniversary and have an overload of happy memories, those times when you just took the time to live? How many of you want your kids to remember that time when mommy and daddy were dancing around the house in their socks, laughing and loving one another as parents should? While we are examining the idea of “dancing in our socks” as a metaphor, it can also be literal. I actually remember one of happiest childhood memories is of my parents dancing around the house once as a way to make us laugh as kids.
I don’t know about you all, but my husband and I have begun to take steps towards creating more of an enjoyable life for ourselves and our future children. This world is not FUBU (For Us, By Us) by any means, so we have decided to take matters into our own hands where our own lives are concerned. We will no longer allow the stresses of life into our home, and we will take the time to “dance in our socks” more often. We will continue to work hard to create happy memories that we intend to share at our 50th wedding anniversary with the ones nearest and dearest to our hearts. Who knows, literally dancing around the house in our socks just might make the list!
About to be there, about to do that…about to live that life, just saying.
No comments:
Post a Comment