By Dr. Jane Guttman
Life may not be the party we hoped for… but while we’re here we may as well dance.” ~ Jeanne C. Stein
Everyone knows someone who got the life they wanted. Down to the last detail. Even so, there are always shadows that rise to dim a horizon in a life that is moving along, even in grace. An illness comes rushing in, for self or a loved one. An unexpected death brings shock and sorrow. The sadness and suffering in the world find their way to us if we’re paying attention. Children are given lifetime sentences, without a plan for parole.
Kenneth Crawford is dancing. With a paintbrush. His sentence is life without parole and incarcerated since childhood, he has learned to let the music play until he finds the dance. I know Ken Crawford through his adoptive mother, Cindy Sanford, and in knowing them, my own dance becomes glorious. Crawford is an artist extraordinaire. Known best for his leaf art, he is now painting murals on the walls of the mental health unit in his prison. Selected to live on that unit as a helper, he brings kindness, compassion, patience and wisdom to the men who live in the dark angst of mental illness. His murals become medicine. A tender tonic for the woes on this unit of despair.
A few years ago I talked with Crawford. I was still working with the at-risk/at-promise kids in a juvenile facility and this young man, who possibly could spend his lifetime in prison, became an instant inspiration to the youth I worked with. My students were dancing to the rhythm of hope and respect as they learned about a companion across the country who was completing college courses, doctoring fallen birds, and doing leaf art, remembering the beauty of our earth though not having seen it for over a decade. I read his story, Letters to a Lifer: The Boy ‘Never to be Released’, co-penned by Crawford and Sanford, in our book club for maximum security children. Hearts rose in compassion and empathy for what looked like a lost childhood and a lost life. Instead, Ken has chosen to dance.
My own dance is pushed by the passion that Ken Crawford offers the world, selflessly and profoundly. My steps leave the ground for that instant, suspended in the space where everything begins and where we discover our most profound selves, even if we didn’t find the party we hoped for.
Dance. Keep the flow alive. Keep the music turned up. Play a favorite tune. Pick up a son or daughter, a grandchild or pet and dance. Let your heart fill with the notes of gratitude and then begin again, the steps carrying your heart and soul to the heights. Watch worries fade and anger disappear into the space around you. Liveliness and good spirit abound. Then, find the song in your heart.
The grief you may hold for dreams unrealized, for losses unexpected, and disappointments unmeasured fall into a recess of sorrow while you sing and dance and celebrate being here. Just being here is the gift. To love, to learn, to grow, to welcome all that awaits.
Our parents never told us life would be hard. This wasn’t part of their dialogue. Childhood was privileged in many ways. And it was also a ride through a maze of sorrows. My vision for my life is being realized in resplendent ways. Though not the exact life I envisioned, each day is a day to dance. A boogie of bliss. The music calls and calls as the list of gratitudes mount, and I ease into the steps of earth harmony, one foot joining the other in a party of my own heart.
Every detail of our lives becomes our teacher. We’re not always clear on the meaning. It takes some time and some searching. Ken Crawford is finding the way to well-being in the hardest of places, and as he dances, everyone around him is stirred by his peace and inner joy. His voice echoes in my heart, a cadence of kindness and hope and a passion to leave the world a better place. My next dance is dedicated to Ken. To his heart, his spirit and to the loving presence he brings. Though we live on distant coasts, our shared waltz is one that soars across the clouds and stars. In a repertoire of respect and gratitude, we rejoice for our shared vision of healing for those yet to find the dance floor.
All guidance is educational and not given as medical advice or treatment., nor is it meant to take the place of qualified medical professionals. Please check with your physician for all medical concerns.
Jane Guttman is a bio-energetic practitioner, workshop presenter, educator, retired holistic chiropractor, Life-Wellness doula, and practices focused hearing. Her practice includes Soul Sound, energetic tapping, writing for wellness, memory release, pet hospice care, and crystal well-being. Her process invites deep reflection, self-love, and well-being; her healing work invites the presence of inner peace, an essential energy to sustain wellness and wholeness. Her work with focused hearing and intuitive guidance have helped many to redirect their lives. Jane’s process has evolved over thirty years of study/practice with the late Dr. M.T. Morter, D.C. and the late Dr. Lucille Edwards, an eminent and recognized metaphysical healer, clairvoyant and energy healer. Jane is committed to assisting people and pets of all ages in attaining wellness goals.
Educational and Related Services: (Non-medical) Crystal Well Being – EFT Tapping – Emotive Memory Release – Energetic Balancing – Intuitive Guidance/Focused Hearing – Pet Well-Being – Sound Healing – Wellness Doula – Writing for Wellness.
Contact Info: Drjane4wellness@gmail.com (909)436-9500