My little granddaughter is full of life. She has her own back yard adventures. Not long ago, she learned to ride a bike, and she has mastered it. There are stickers all over the bike and clips of some sort on the wheels. The basket on the front of the Pepto Bismol pink bike holds treasures. Along with dolls and other trinkets, she has a new addition – a Motown magic karaoke microphone. If you see a flash of pink wearing boots, and hear the classic Motown tunes in the wind, it might just be my two-wheeling, hair-bobbing, Motown singing granddaughter. I imagine to this little girl (as well as her grandmother), she sounds like the real thing.
If dancers or gymnasts are performing on TV, it’s not long before a little girl is twirling and sliding across the floor, doing cartwheels, or attempting flips in front of us as she imagines herself gracefully performing on the grandest stage of the world. I feel a twinge inside of me wanting to join in her dance with no cares or inhibitions.
Just the other day I watched in awe as skaters at the Skating National Championships glided gracefully over the ice. They twirled and did flips, loops, and other jumps as they were judged on their skills and artistic interpretations. As I watched the skaters, I almost imagined myself moving effortlessly across the ice, every motion fluid and elegant. Little girls are not the only ones with dreams.
As I watch my granddaughter I wonder, does she see herself as the most graceful dancer, a mirror image of what she has seen performed? Does she hear herself as the best singer as she belts out the sounds of Diana Ross, The Temptations or Smokey Robinson? Does she feel the cool air from the surface of the ice rink as she glides on her skates like Michelle Kwan? Maybe so, and I hope she never stops dreaming.
I tell you, My Girl has Really Got a Hold on Me!