The other night, I was in the supermarket with my daughter, Elizabeth. This is nothing new, as I am ALWAYS in Stop & Shop. I find supermarkets comforting, probably because I worked in one as my first job for years and years. To this date, working in Met Food still ranks as the second favorite job of my career.
But I digress.
When we were in the supermarket checking out the challah, an 80s song came on. If ya’ll don’t know by now how much I LOVE 80s music, well, where have you been? This was the song that came on.
So naturally, I started dancing. And naturally, the ten-year-old daughter was mock-mortified and bolted out of the bread aisle.
So I chased her with the shopping cart, singing and half-dancing as I pushed it. We were both laughing as she admonished me for my “horrible 80s moves.” The thing is, I always dance. I don’t even care if I’m not good at it. I probably am still rocking my Belinda Carlisle moves, but whatevs. It makes me happy.
See, my Mom used to dance with me in stores. ALL THE TIME. We would be in Alexander’s and a 50’s song would come on and she would grab me and we would start dancing. She would twirl me in front of cash registers, on line, even in the dressing room. She taught me how to do the Lindy Hop in the aisles of Met Food (which is where I later worked). As much as I remember being embarrassed (as my Elizabeth is of me), I remember LOVING IT. I remember laughing. I remember hanging onto her as she spun me around.
I remember being HAPPY.
On sooooo many occasions, people would remark how lovely it was that we had such a great relationship. And they were right.
It was natural.
It was perfect.
It was US.
And now, without me even realizing it, without even willing it, I have morphed into my gorgeous, fabulous, beloved Mom. I am not flipping Elizabeth or my son Gabriel around to Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood,” but if Cyndi Lauper comes on, you can damn be sure that we are rocking out to it — no matter where we are.
Dear Readers, I encourage you all to do the same. You don’t have to dance in supermarkets like we do, but take the time to dance with your kids. Let them laugh at your bad moves (yes, your moves are bad, don’t think that they’re still good), and HAVE FUN WITH YOUR KIDS. You are creating memories that will last both of you a lifetime.
Because at the end of the day, we are all the Dancing Queen.