I want to be like her when I grow up!


Martina becoming Little Hawk

Lance Logan-Keyes of the Mohawk Nation and Martina aka Little Hawk

My Martina~enthralled!

On Saturday we attended the St Mary's Storytelling festival.  One of the main events was an Ojibway storyteller Aaron Bell and Gonwah Desgohrah White Pine Dancers.  And my little Martina was smitten.  I first noticed her patting her  heart to the beat of the drum before they said that it was the heart beat of  Mother Earth.  She is a so in touch with her own natural intuition and energy at five and she just knew it was a heart beat.  She was mesmerised by the stories and by the dancers and the music.  She didn't stop dancing and laughing the entire time.  I can tell she felt a kinship beyond being entertained.  Something mysterious was at play throughout the entire thing as I watched her stare with more than wonderment but with a sense of belonging, of homecoming.  It was a strange and mysterious thing among many strange and mysterious things that happened that day. 

And Naturally,  when they asked if anyone had questions her hands shot up with a question about the Hoop Dance and at that time she was invited to the front and was twisted with help into three of the hoops.  She became "Little Hawk" then and beamed when she stood with hoop wings.  She asked us after to call her Little Hawk because that's who they told her she was.

Then at the end she was invited to participate in the smoke dance.  She was rhythmic and uninhibited and so free and wild during the dance.  She also remembers the song and I've caught her several times since performing and singing the music perfectly when no one is watching.  Our neighbours watched with me this morning and were totally impressed that she remembered it after hear it only once.  I'm trying to catch her on video.  Currently she is outside with her small hula hoops doing her own little Hoop Dance.

How free and in touch with the earth and nature and their own selves are children when they are allowed  and encouraged to be.  Growing up most of us have had our truest selves tamped down by the expectations of society and of the people around of. We are judged as adults on our ability to be mature and responsible, respectable and appropriate to the point that our heart dances to one rhythm and our lives dance to a different one and we are at odds within ourselves, never fully cohesive, never fully happy, never fully free.  It is only when we align our outer lives with what we know to be true of us and let go of the expectations of others in our lives do we get to be full happy in our skin. 

I love to  play like Martina.  We are going for a walk now to the park and we'll take toys.   Perhaps we'll take the hoops or maybe we'll just swing as high as we can.  I cannot wait to play with Martina because I seriously want to be like her when I grow up.  I feel so alive when I do the things that my heart loves to do like swing as high as I can on a swing and lean back and look at the sky!  This is magic. Try it. It is incredible!

I am so at peace when I am dancing freely to the rhythm of my heart  and mother earth and I do it a lot.  The rest of the world be damned because this is my dance and I have my own steps.  Dance your own dance but don't interfere with mine. 

The truth is I still manage to function within society.  I can still walk into a room and be totally appropriate but I am totally and appropriately one hundred percent me.  But what happens to a lot of people, myself included in the past, is that all of their actions are designed to gain something from others.  Approval, attention, kudos etc. to the point that if they do not receive that they are miserable.  They simply don't see their own value beyond the impression others have of them. 

I have seen people's lives so completely wrapped up in doing what pleases others or believing that the approval of others is what will make them happy but to live that way gives the responsibility for your action to others and also gives them a power over your life that takes away from you because you just cannot always meet the expectations of those around you. 

At some point you will disappoint somebody and when your own heart speaks loudly, because eventually its need to be heard will come forth,  you may even disappoint everybody.  Then who are you?  The only person you need to impress is yourself and to do so you strive to be the best person you can be and to live the best life you can live regardless of the opinions of others.  Your character is your true calling card, not your reputation.  Strengthen your character and you will likely improve your reputation without even trying because a person of strong character is always more respected over a person who has given their life over to others.

I read somewhere a quote that said (and I'm paraphrasing) I would rather be hated for who I really am than loved for who I am not."  This speaks to me because there is always at least one person who loves the real me and that is the real me.  And a fake me, well is a mirage and nothing to love anyway.  Happiness is attractive and being true to your inner self, following your heart's dance is likely to attract love like you've never known.  Just from people who are as aligned with their own heart song as you are.

It is difficult to change.  Two steps forward, one step back but in time you find you are letting go of the need to make others like you or need them to make you happy.  You become your own best friend.  Meanwhile laugh and love and dance!  Life is short and the wind in your hair and a smile on your face is the best way to go forward! 

Here is a video of Martina doing her smoke dance with Gonah Desgohrah White Pine Dancers.  If it doesn't make you smile today call a therapist stat.

Link for the email subscribers is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmDTTji9GpY&feature=player_embedded






Dance your dance to the rhythm of your heart and you'll never miss a step!
Carolyn R.Parsons

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