Dancing together again

Braulio and Margarita Montalvo (Photo courtesy Maria A. Montalvo)

“This dance is for you. This dance is for us. This dance is for everyone.”

When we dance, we celebrate.

When we dance, we share memories.

When we dance, we feel loved.

When my parents danced, they showed the world what love looks like.

When they danced together, they were simultaneously the only people in the world and utterly connected to everyone else. They were focused on the music and each other, and yet they encouraged others to dance. Their invitation to dance was an invitation to harness the energy of bliss, even if for the moment.

Life is a dance, and to dance is to live. Most importantly, though, dancing does not only represent love between two people.

It is an existence, a way to show love of family, of community, and of what could be for those invited to join. As was said of my parents when my dad died a decade ago, “This dance is for you. This dance is for us. This dance is for everyone.”

And since my mom passed away a few days ago, the words I have heard most is, “I can see them dancing together again.”

Everyone who witnessed them dance salsa saw far more than my mother’s grace and beauty, her impeccable sense of the clavé (beat), and my dad’s subtle and effortless accompaniment.

We saw a pair committed to grasping joy when it was offered and surviving pain when it came.

Each step demonstrated wisdom and curiosity. Every sway showed gratitude for finding a true partner in love. Their movements also carried the agony of losing a child and sibling. They danced to tell the story of life.

My parents believed too many good people suffered from pain and poverty, from unfortunate circumstances.

They also knew too many people have the ability to do more for others and choose not to. Knowledge can weigh heavy on the soul, while dance brings balance.

My mom was the one who sought to harness bad for good. She maintained an innate set of universal truths that she believed could make her useful to the world, and her strength of spirit helped her to live those values every day. She never wavered.

Perhaps more than anything else, my mom loved fiercely because why love if not with all you have? In the words of her favorite poet, Carmen Natalia, “How beautiful it would be if you learned to love until your eyes ached and your heart dropped petals of pain.”

Perhaps that is why when she danced, no one could take their eyes off her. Every movement was deliberate, incorporated all of the moments of her life, and expressed love – love and the hope that love can persist forever.

I am sure my parents are dancing together again.