Receiving Love From Unlikely Men
I went dancing last weekend. With hundreds!
The Flurry is a huge dance festival with hot bands from all over the country.
Big Band swing, Zydeco, Charleston, Contra, Blues, all sorts of ethnic sounds.
Like the proverbial girl in the candy story, I couldn’t get enough.
I was a little shy at first, uncertain about sharing my energy so intimately with so many… and some, well… so odd.
Few of these men would be my choice for a date (no less a kiss).
As I entered each room, I scoped out those I might find acceptable.
The others… well, I did my usual – avoid eye contact, hope they wouldn’t ask.
But they did ask. and here’s the surprise.
I learned something amazing about receiving love by dancing with every man who asked!
Gawky college boys and gray-haired gentleman.
Sexy, long-haired types, men with balding bravado, and others with bulging bellies.
Ernest, but awkward new dancers and fast furious show-off aficionados.
Instead of being creeped out, I reminded myself that I was safe.
I could say no anytime I chose.
Being receptive doesn’t mean giving up all control. I could receive only what felt right.
So I accepted the gifts of these men.
Their smiles. Their hand. Their lead. Their gentle shyness.
Their enthusiastic spins. Their kind and patient instruction.
Their eyes enjoying me. Their touch against my body.
I let them be men.
In dancing, the man gets to lead.
He gets to protect the woman from overenthusiastic and bumbling couples.
He gets to set the pace and the direction.
He gets to be chivalrous. He makes the decisions.
And we get to receive.
Whether they’re awkward or skillful, clumsy or elegant,
our job is not to criticize, not to control and manage the way this offering of love comes towards us.
Our role – our opportunity, actually – is to allow the gift.…
To notice the kind intention, the warm willingness, the courageous invitation to make the most of this dance.
It was a dazzling day, but there was one last surprise.
Later that evening, at dinner in town with my kids, a lovely man came over to me to say,
“I just had to tell you, you are very beautiful!”
I think there’s some contagious magic that flavors the air around us when we choose this feminine receptivity.
So what’s inviting you to dance?
Let me know in the comments below.
Will you stay safe and sure of yourself?
Or will you allow a surprising bit of love to infiltrate your day?
If you try, I think you’ll find the world much safer than you think!
And way more fun!