It was a sweet picture.

A tiny Mama, grey hair disheveled and shoulders draped with a fluffy child’s blanket, twinkled as she shuffled her feet and waved her frail hands. Her smiling, middle-aged son lightly touched her dancing fingers and attempted to guide her toward the restaurant’s front door, planning to safely tuck her into his car for the trip back home. But she had other ideas. Standing square in a patch of warm sunshine, Mama was dancing in the foyer.

***

Spring is upon us here in the Midwest — finally. Time to fling open the windows and poke our heads out the door to breathe in the glory of green grass and fresh breezes. Time to lift our faces to the sunshine and leave winter behind.

Isn’t it the way of things that often we don’t realize the “posture” we’ve taken until someone sheds a little light on it. I’ve been hibernating for a few weeks, tucking myself in, taking shelter in the warm blanket of self-protection. Oh, I’ve been plenty busy, keeping up with work and writing, family and church obligations. But I haven’t been all there. I didn’t think anyone would notice, and I was sure it didn’t really matter.

Until a friend peeked under the blanket and asked “Are you okay?”

We need people like that in our lives, caring folk who know us at our best and miss us when we’re absent. We need them to spend time with us even when we’re huddled under a blanket — and to be there when we’re ready to dance in the sunshine.

I’ve been reading about what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Hiding under a blanket doesn’t fit the image of a spirit-filled woman. I know that. I haven’t really forgotten. I just didn’t think anyone would notice.

The world’s a cold place sometimes. The blast of hard things can threaten to throw us off balance. But it’s Spring. The sun is shining. It’s warming up out there and there’s music in the air.

It’s time for a little dancing in the foyer.