What if the Hokey Pokey Really Is What It's All About?💃🏽

Photo by Cotton Bro: https://www.pexels.com/search/cotton%20bro/

An ordinary day usually starts with getting one foot out of bed, and then the other, until we're upright and ready to face whatever comes. Whether we realize it or not, this is exactly what the Hokey Pokey teaches us - that life is about putting one piece of ourselves in at a time, and eventually, if we're lucky, immersing ourselves with complete joy and abandon.

I've discovered that this silly song we sang as kids is actually a perfect blueprint for how to live, heal, and find magic in the ordinary. This magic transforms into miracles when we give ordinary moments our full attention. Sometimes these miracles feel like the sun on your face, the sound of ocean waves calling you home, seagulls' beckoning from a vast and beautiful sky, or just the sound of silence as you grip your coffee mug in your hand.

What makes the smallest of miracles possible, is our ability to notice them, to breathe them in, and to hold them in moments when we need them the most.

The Simple Joy of Showing Up

Hands gently cupped, cradling ethereal sparks of light, symbolize the wonder and magic of a miracle unfolding.

One of my favorite miracles happened when I ran an after-school program at the Y, where I somehow convinced ten 10-year-olds to spend three months learning "Seasons of Love" from the musical Rent for a huge donor event. Here's the thing about after-school programs: kids come to unwind, to play, to blow off steam from their school day. The last thing they want to do is learn a complex song with harmonies and choreography.But they showed up every day! And not only that, they had fun doing it because they put their whole selves into it and that's what the Hokey Pokey is all about, right?

The Boy Who Chose Love 💓

I'm reminded of another small miracle with a little boy named Tommy, whom I worked with for six months at a residential treatment facility. He had experienced severe abuse that still makes me cry when I think of it. Each moment together was as uncertain as his big emotions. Some days he would rage, other days he would retreat completely. Sometimes we would just sit together in silence, and other times we'd listen to hip hop and dance until we ran out of songs. With no other goal, but to be a consistent and loving presence in his life, I showed up piece by piece, day by day and little by little he grew to trust me.

Until, one afternoon out of nowhere, Tommy looked at me and said, "Jenna, I love you." In that moment, my heart swelled with joy because I knew how hard it was for Tommy to move towards love. He had every reason in the world to never trust another adult and yet there he was chosing love again. Somehow, I'd broken through his walls and helped him to heal so that he could feel safe enough to receive the love he so desperately needed and deserved. That moment of connection, that moment he said YES to healing, that was Tommy being incredibly brave.

Trust in Small Moments

In the bucolic backdrop of a small town outside of Boulder, CO I spent many a day carrying a small infant when I was a nanny. Every morning, we'd walk to visit horses at a barn down the road. By the time we reached the pasture, she was fast asleep in my arms. To an outsider, a sleeping baby might seem like just an ordinary occurrence. But to me, knowing this beautiful soul trusted me enough to let the rhythm of my steps become her lullaby was the ultimate miracle of trust.

💓Love Across the Miles

Sometimes miracles travel great distances. Many moons ago, I made the leap into digital design and content strategy. This shift took me away from the Y in Boulder and towards an entirely new adventure in the DC area. Six months after starting my dream job, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It's true what they say, that you don't ever plan the moments when you'll need love to show up the most. So, when I received a scrapbook from the kids at the Y, whom I'd worked with before moving to Virginia, it felt like love found me just in the nick of time.

Putting Your Whole Self In

And now, for the finale of the song. The shaking, the silliness, the going all in. What a great reminder for all of us to jump into the joy of life. To try new things, embrace uncertainty, and find our way one step at a time.

So, on this beautiful day, I ask you when was the last time you did the Hokey Pokey? And if your answer is, "Ummm, no clue" well, here's a little inspo. :)

And if you're hesitating, here's a little secret I've learned from children and my own journey through adversity, there's really nothing more important. The Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about.

💕With love, 

💋Jenna