Beauty

'Beauty' is a word, a noun that is quality in a person, place or thing that makes people sigh a deep sigh and say, "Wow." Today, for me, beauty is a person - my son, Zeke. He is dancing in his tenth dance recital, for this year makes a decade of dance for him. He is in his thirteenth year of life, and for 10/13 of those years he has given his life to dance, and dance has given life to him.

When he was a baby, he wouldn't crawl. So many times, I would set him up on his hands and knees, get up on my own hands an knees beside him, and say, "Come on buddy, follow me!" I would take off across the floor, giggling and calling, hoping he would crawl after me. He didn't. I would turn around. He would smile at me. Then he would plop back down on his tummy, roll around onto his back, and reach up to the stars.

When he was a toddler, he wouldn't walk. So many times, I would set him up beside the table with his feet on the ground, and stand beside him with my own feet on the ground, and say, "Come on buddy, follow me!" I would take off across the floor, giggling and calling, hoping he would walk after me. He didn't. I would turn around. He would smile at me. Then he would plop back down on his hiney, and reach up to the stars.

One day, though, he took off across the floor, first at a crawl, then at a walk. As he was walking, the radio was on and music filled the room. He stopped. He looked at me. I didn't set him up. I didn't stand beside him. No, I simply watched in wonder. He twirled. He flowed. He danced. I was as surprised as if I were seeing a shooting star across the sky. He was the star.

Now, today, as I watch him twirl like a leaf in the wind, flow like a river, and dance like a star, with power and persistence, with greatness and grace, I am reminded of something Dostoyevsky said, "Beauty will save the world."

He must have been thinking of Zeke.