I Hope You Dance....

I had a surprising emotional memory yesterday evening that caught me off guard. Arden and I had been watching a movie and when it was over the first song for the closing credits was “I Hope You Dance.”

My eyes instantly filled with tears and I was overcome with grief. The song, written by Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers and recorded originally by Lee Ann Womack, had always made me think of my son and very well stated many of the wishes I had for his life.

I began wondering why it stirred such a reaction in me after all these years so I looked it up online. Lee Ann Womak recorded it in 1999 with the band “Sons Of The Desert.” It was released the following year on her album “I Hope You Dance” and quickly became a huge hit. In 2001 it won six awards including Best Country Song and Song of the Year.

As I said – the song always made me think of my son and his future. He died in February of 2002. That song had been a big part of my life in the months just before he died. I think that's why it hit me so hard - because it was so close to the time we lost him.

I let the tears flow for a few minutes while I explained my bizarre behavior to my wife. I showed her the lyrics to the song and she instantly understood.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'
Don't let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance (Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along)
I hope you dance
I hope you dance (Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder)
I hope you dance (Where those years have gone?)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance (Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along)
I hope you dance (Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder?)


It's so strange how music - a particular song - can invoke such powerful reactions from people, particularly 15 years later. A big thank you to Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers for writing such a powerful song and to Lee Ann Womack for her beautiful rendition of it. It made me cry but it made me smile at the same time.

I miss you, Christopher. And I love you as much today as I ever did.

By the way - for those of you reading this...  tell your kids you love them every chance you get. You never know when you may not have that chance again....