This little piece I wrote was published on the front page of the employee news where I work, and I got tons of positive feedback on it, so I thought I’d blog it.  It was in response to the question “What is the playlist of your life?”

At the risk of sounding corny, I have to confess that the soundtrack for my life is “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack.  First, l love to dance. I would come to your wedding and bring a $200 gift just for the fun of doing the Electric Slide and boogying to the Isley Brothers’ “Shout.” (Little known fact:  I have also danced WITH one of the Isley Brothers).  I took  Zumba classes for several years, and more recently my husband and I have been doing Irish set dancing.  I’m not even that good at dancing, and I don’t care; I just love it so much.

Less literally, though, “I Hope You Dance” is about living life full-on with your face to the wind.  As a person who can hardly believe she’s recently turned 60, I recommend this approach to any young person.  Take on a little more than you think you can handle. Reach out to people.  Reach out to them again. Try your best.  Fail.  Try again and fail better.  Find friends who make you laugh so hard your stomach hurts.   Eat the chocolate cake, try the raw Galway Bay oysters one time, enter the marathon, take the trip to Paris, ride the zipline.  Sit on your porch swing and take in the sunset.  Live so that you can whisper with your last exhale, “Wow.  So worth it.”