I was leaving work last Friday chatting with a teacher, when another coworker stopped by to wish us a good weekend; quickly followed by a question about her daughter. She asked if her daughter had performed anywhere for this past St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The teacher responded with a heart-warming story.
Her daughter’s dance school had just finished a performance at a local nursing home. Just as her daughter was removing her dance shoes, one of the residents arrived late with his attendant. Tears began to fill his eyes realizing he had missed the performance. She noticed. Even though she was exhausted from dancing all day at different venues, she promptly put her Irish dance shoes back on her feet. As she danced this special dance just for him, he began to cry openly, but she didn’t stop, she kept dancing knowing these were tears of joy.
Hearing this story pulled on my heartstrings. This young high school girl did not dance this extra performance because she was told to; she didn’t do it for thunderous applause. She danced out of the goodness of her heart; a true act of kindness.
What a gift, to be able to give an elderly stranger a moment of joy in his life. I don’t know if he was Irish, but clearly that day he was.