So You Think You Can Dance is back on TV and once again, I am amazed, humbled, and in awe of what the human body can do. I am also treated to daily attempts by Gamera to do contemporary dance. It is a hilarious, sweet, and lovely thing to behold.
What I love most, though, isn’t so much that I get to watch amazing people showcase their talent and watch judges who actually know their craft be kind, even in the face of “not good enough for the show.” I love how my children get to see bodies do things that bodies are capable of doing. They watch sports with Hapa Papa and run and jump and climb and do lots of things with their bodies already, so it’s not like there is any lack of knowledge in that sense. But there is something transforming in dance and I am thankful my children get to watch dance as the main focus vs. dance in a music video or whatever. (And let’s face it, lots of that dance is inappropriate for young children.)
I read somewhere how sports and dance are especially good for little girls to combat body image issues because they realize the body is made to be used: running, jumping, dancing, playing, hitting, singing, moving, etc. It is not just an object for people to look at and consume greedily with their eyes. This message is good for girls and boys – not to mention men and women.
Too often, I worry about what my body looks like versus what my body can do. And while what I can do seems to be shrinking (due to my increasing injuries), my body is still capable of many things. Least of which was growing three fantastic and tiny human beings.
I know our bodies can seem so ordinary and sometimes, even subpar. But when you consider how even “ordinary” is dependent on so many vital processes, chemical and mechanical and electrical, the fact that we’re not constantly falling apart is miraculous. The fact that we can communicate is amazing. Even when it seems as if our bodies are breaking (Cookie Monster has spent all morning throwing up), there is a reason for all the vomit or snot or leakage. That is pretty awesome, too.
I know it’s a short post today (and rather blathery), but it’s what I’ve got today. My own body is still producing an amazing amount of snot. With that, have a wonderful weekend.
