I made my granddaughter a poncho this past week.  She wanted a cape, but she is 2½ and I didn’t want to deal with the tie strings.  I put it over her head, and she was unsure about not having sleeves. I told her to spread her arms out and as she did, she immediately began to twirl.  She twirled around and around with reckless abandonment until she became a bit dizzy.  She stopped, took a breath, gave me a huge smile and began to twirl again.

This got me thinking, when did I stop twirling and why?  Twirling is pure joy expressed in movement.  Can you imagine, next time someone gives you something, instead of trying to express your happiness and gratitude verbally, you just start twirling?  Children have so many ways they use to express happiness and excitement.  They sing as if they were on a grand stage giving a Grammy worthy performance.  They give hugs that almost knock you over and sloppy kisses.  They squeal and giggle and shout for joy.  There is virtually no one that can resist laughing when a small child laughs.  There really is nothing more comforting than a hug from a child.  Sometimes, if I’m not looking at my granddaughter, she will take her little hands and put them on either side of my face and turn me toward her.  She will just look into my eyes, kind of questioning and then just smile.  As soon as I smile back then she lets my face go and returns to whatever else she was doing.  It lets me know to be present.

Now back to twirling.  When did I stop?  And why?  We are constantly telling children, don’t do that, you will get dizzy and fall down.  Stop running, you will hurt yourself.  Don’t talk too loud, don’t interrupt.  Don’t, don’t, don’t, and eventually they stop and that’s why I did and probably when you did.  As a parent, I understand why we do these things.  We want our children and grandchildren to be polite and safe.  But just maybe we overdo the lessons.  No, I don’t want to be around children who are deliberately mean or completely obnoxious, however I do want to be around children, that are just being joyful, happy souls. 

I think God wants us to twirl!  We all fall down in life literally and figuratively, but if we get up and twirl again, and sing, and laugh, and hug with abandonment, won’t we be better for it?  Sometime this week, when no one is looking, go outside and twirl a little, slowly if you must, eyes opened or closed (please don’t fall down).  It doesn’t have to be grand pirouette, just a little twirl for me and you.