Dear Friends,
For those of you who take Stop Drop And Dance classes, please note that CLASS IS CANCELLED this Saturday, May 29th. I wish I could say the reason was because I was going on a vacation somewhere for the long weekend, but instead it is because I am attending a funeral.
I am sending so much love to my dear friend Nela (and her older sister Sheila), who I went to junior high, high school, and college with. I spent many hours at her home during those years and because of that, I got to spend time getting to know her parents. It was only last year that her dad began having some difficulty holding chopsticks and was first diagnosed with ALS, but this cruel disease progressed so quickly in just one year. It breaks my heart to share that her father, Chin C. Chang, passed away last week from ALS.
I am so, so sorry Nela and Sheila.
Coincidentally, May is ALS Awareness Month.
Learn more about this heartbreaking disease at www.als.org and find out how you can help continue critical research to find a cure.
Life is too short, so live life to the fullest!
I'd like to share a little bit of inspiration from this past week that all of us can learn from.
It's the story of Robin Walter, who was born 50 years ago on May 23rd, 1971.
Some of you know where this is going...
Life Lesson #1: Be Courageous
Robin sent me the picture above this past week, and told me she was going to muster up the courage to show up to Stop Drop And Dance for her 50th birthday as Sally O'Malley (aka Molly Shannon from Saturday Night Live).
This is the YouTube clip she sent me too (since I didn't know who she was talking about): Sally O'Malley's Rockette Open Audition - SNL
Once you watch that clip above, you'll understand. Sally O'Malley is trying out to be a Rockette but is proud to shout out, "I'm FIFTY, FIFTY YEARS OLD!" every few minutes.
Courage is... getting way out of your comfort zone and following your intuition, instinct, or heart, and not holding back.
Life Lesson #2: Stay Committed
So here's the thing... Lesson #1 was about dreaming big. Lesson #2 is about execution. Putting in the work, the time, the effort. It is persevering. It is staying focused. It is committing to your goal.
So what do you think of Robin's commitment to dress up like Sally O'Malley?
SHE NAILED IT!
Robin MADE that entire costume and sewed on the waist band, the flowers on the neck, the arm ruffles, the leopard print purse, even her hair (she's got long hair!).
Then she went over and beyond, because, Robin has never come up on camera to dance before. But yesterday, she did. She danced the first song up front, and then committed to dancing the entire 75 minutes of class, on camera, in costume, in full character!
The rest of us decided at 10pm the night before class to support and surprise Robin by dressing up as her backup Rockette dancers, just like the SNL video.
Life Lesson #3: Find Laughter
Perhaps the most important lesson on how to live life to the fullest, is to not take life so seriously. It's to be silly. It's to be FUN. It's to live in the moment...
Even when that moment is 45 minutes into class and you know you still have 30 more minutes of intense cardio dancing in front of everyone...
So you grab a donut, keep dancing, and start a new trend called "Donuts + Dancing."
Robin celebrated her 50th birthday in style, in an unforgettable fashion, and made everyone around her smile. Happiest Birthday to you Robin!!!
"The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple, and love without measure." - Tibetan Proverb
Upcoming Events
If it's your birthday and you would like to celebrate in-person, please reach out at info@thepowerwithgrace andlet me know!
This week we are celebrating:
Tuesday, May 27th: Stop Drop And Dance for Tammy Parr's Birthday
Thursday, May 29th: Stop Drop And Dance for Rita Ribera's Birthday
And SAVE THE DATE: Next Thursday, June 3rd, please join us as we WEAR ORANGE to Stop Drop And Dance for Moms Demand Action and Gun Violence Awareness Day! Thank you to Jennifer Gonzalez for organizing this event and please help us raise money to SAVE LIVES!!!
We are richer beyond gold because of those who love us and those we love.
Remembering my grandma, Yun-Chun Yu, whose birthday was today, and my first daughter, Miya Yu, who both left us in the first 3 months of 2021.
Change is hard and loss is hard, but love always wins.
Love harder, everyday, to those around you.
Loving harder,
Grace
