The power of honesty

Last night I went to a dance show at the U of A. I wasn't planning on going until next week but due to a delay in buying tickets and shows being sold out, I went last night. Every dance show I've been to at the U of A has been amazing. Well, almost all of them, there was an unfortunate evening spent watching sleazy clowns and a woman with a whip, but I digress.
The show last night was a blend of styles, ballet, modern and jazz. The ballet was beautiful the jazz was jazzy but the modern took a sudden turn into the unexpected. The piece was titled "Hush". A simple title, it could mean a whole number of things, but as the piece progressed I found it to mean the hush we all feel when it comes to being vulnerable and honest. If I were to try to describe what exactly happened on stage I would hardly do it justice. Just know that through the power of art and fearlessness, a group of people expressed the loss just about everyone feels in life. When you think of the phrase "why did you leave so soon?" I'm sure a couple of thoughts could go through your mind. This was a central theme of the dance and quite apparent when the words flashed in the back ground as dancers moved as only a souls expression could move.
For me "why did you leave so soon?" brings to mind the losses I have experienced in my life. Two very specific ones in fact, my dad and my grandpa. As I sat and watched this movement of the soul I was reminded of feelings that I have shoved into the back of my mind, into the back of my heart.
To me, that is the power of art. It allows one to bring to life feelings that are lost in this world. In our busy world of materialism, selfishness, and greed we get lost. We all do it.
I am more aware of this now than I ever have been before. Being a parent has made me more aware of the state of the world than I ever have before. I pray to God everyday that He will grant me the wisdom to bring up our children to love in a world that has forgotten the meaning.
This is why I am thankful for people like the one who made the piece last night. People who are not afraid to express what we all need to know...we are not alone. We all feel pain, we all feel loss, we all feel love...we all FEEL. So thank you, U of A dance program, for allowing an audience of strangers to remember what it's like to open up our hearts and feel.