On Sunday I witnessed one of the most romantic and courageous acts I’ve seen.  It was at a 60^th birthday party. Our friend Mick was celebrating his birthday while lamenting the speed of life which had bought him to this point.  He was surrounded by 26 friends and family and had just shouted us all to a delicious lunch.  Hilarious anecdotes of his life bounced around the room and there were many heartfelt speeches rejoicing in a life well lived and promises to share more adventures in the future.  Maybe you think a 60^th birthday would be a dull event, but no, by that age the fine art of enjoyment has been perfected.

Mick has been married to Mary Jo for over 25 years and she stood to deliver her speech, however, she surprised us all, and instead of speaking she dedicated three dances to Mick.  She pulled up the rug, created her private space then began to dance.  The first dance celebrated how Mick has stood beside her during difficult times, grounded her through the times she wanted to run away, and how she valued the way he saw the world differently to her.  During the second dance she became the vamp and the tease as she swivelled her hips in a private seduction, yet we all looked on.  In the third dance her flowing moves celebrated his beauty.

Mary Jo’s lithe, sensual and strong dances were the culmination of a long journey of body acceptance and I know that this performance was a courageous act. I felt honoured to be present.  As Mick said, we may all forget much of the 60^th birthday but none of us will forget the dances. Romance does not just belong to the young.

Would you have the courage to dance for your husband? I wouldn’t.
What a Twist!