We Pulled Off This Sweet Surprise!
What a sweet surprise!
My in-person Zumba crew has known for some time that last week I’d be sneaking off to the US to throw a surprise party with my sisters for our dear mother’s 70th birthday.
And so, this past weekend my extended family gathered from across the country (and world!) to celebrate this milestone birthday for their beloved mom, wife, sister, and friend who has touched so many throughout her life thus far.
And was she ever surprised!
What came as absolutely NO surprise was how pleased others were to celebrate my mom. Warm, loyal, and generous with her love and attention, my mother has a nurturing spirit which has long served as an inspiration to others, from her daughters to the hundreds of special needs children and their families with whom she worked during her career as a speech pathologist.
It’s not been through luck nor comes as any surprise that her energy and optimism still endures. Continually nourishing her spirit, her connections, her mind, and her body (as my most loyal online Zumba student!) is her daily practice– and an exemplary model of what a fulfilling life might look like.
My mother is my reminder that investing in one’s health and happiness requires action. Investing in relationships requires effort. Investing in ourselves requires commitment. Facing these aspects of our lives with patience, love, and grace can be filled with both responsibility and choice-- privileges as we age.
So, today, on her actual birthday, we’ll dance together in-person before I head back to Taipei. We’ll celebrate her life through joyful movement. We’ll share some of the sweetest gifts we could hope for– health, joy, and being present with one another. Happy Birthday, Mom!
And to all of my students, don’t forget you can keep moving joyfully with me online at home until 9/20 when classes will resume in Taipei! Can’t wait to dance with you then!
Keep moving!
xx,
Katie
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