I hope you dance

If this blog could have a theme song, “I hope you dance” would be it.

There’s something about the words that resonates with all of us.

About a month into writing this blog I posted about my tiny twins and their twirly whirly skirts.

Here’s an excerpt from where it all began:

Yesterday one of the twins asked for a twirly whirly skirt. 

I guess twirly whirly skirts are all the rage if you are nine and Hannah Montana is your fashion icon.  

I saw her outside one day. 

Arms lifted to the sky.

Blonde hair floating in the wind.

hope you dance printable

A smile on her face.

And her twirly whirly skirt was whirling. 

Whirling like it could whirl…..until today turned into tomorrow.

And my heart skipped a beat and filled with overflowing emotion and awe.

Awe.

I hope you dance printable

Awe at the joy and the abandon with which she twirled.

I wanted to pause that moment in time. 

Time is so fleeting and the years rush by faster and faster…..

…..than a twirly whirly skirt could ever twirl. 

And one day in the not so distant future, that skirt will become a distant memory.

dance

And at that moment, I wanted to imprint that twirly whirly skirt on my heart forever. 

For the storms ahead. 

For the teenage years. 

For the challenges and difficulties that life sometimes puts in our path.

I want to tell those twirly whirly skirted girls….when faced with the mountains and valleys on this amazing, wonderful journey we call life….

 …..I hope you dance.

I Hope You Dance Printable

That was then.

This is now.

I’m sad to say no one around here wears twirly whirly skirts any more.

Well….except maybe me when I hear “Lucky Star” and I’m feeling sassy.

Now we’ve entered into days full of middle school and jeggings and beaded hair bands and nail polish and eye-rolling and marathons of “Girl Meets World.”

The teenage years are about to roar in like a lion.

And even so.  Even now.  My prayer and my hope and my theme song is still the same.  Precious, wonderful, amazing, joyful, beautiful girls, always, always, always….

….I hope you’ll dance.

free artwork

PS  This amazing printable was created for me by Alison Kate Designs.  You can see all of her beautiful work here.

PPS  It’s FREE for everyone!  You can download the printable…..here.

11 Free Summer Printables

And here’s a few more FREE printables from some of my friends!

Summer Pineapple Printable | Just Destiny

Summer Printable and Buffet Vignette | Shades of Blue Interiors

I love You in the Morning | Ella Claire

Farm Fresh Milk Vintage Printable | Finding Home

Anchor Printable | Making Home Base

I Hope You Dance | Thistlewood Farms

Summer Essentials Watercolor Art | jones design company

When Life Gives You Lemons | Eclectically Vintage

Time Worn Vintage Canning Books | TIDBITS

Gone Fishin’ | Town and Country Living

Swim in the Sea | A Burst of Beautiful

Want to know how to decorate your home for free?
Click here to get my FIVE BEST secrets.

Comments

  1. Image for Peg Peg

    The printable is as beautiful as adorable little girls in twirly whirly skirts! Thank you Karianne and Alison. I adore it! : ) p.s. I wrote this song on the tribute page in my daughter's high school yearbook.

  2. Image for Marisa Franca @ All Our Way Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

    Today is a twirly whirly kind of day. I think I will dance with my hoe as I attack the weeds along the house. I'll be hidden by the shrubs so my neighbors won't be able to see my joyful exhibition. And after that I think I'll have my Honey build me another wall for all those wonderful printables. Thank you! Thank you! I love all of them. I think the Gone Fishing will be framed and go where my hubby spends most of his time -- his work bench :-) And I hope you dance will go in my office.

  3. Image for Yvonne Yvonne

    Such a wonderful image! My 4-year-old grand has a twirly skirt and twirls all day! I'll print this out for her and, of course, for me. I can still twirl if I want to!

  4. Image for Rachel Rachel

    Gosh I love me some Tim McGraw! I'll forever remember my dad blasting 17 on my 17th birthday. I rolled my eyes and acted like he was such a dork (because he is), but I really loved it. Such a sweet tribute to your girls... to your family! And I'm dying with how beautiful that printable is! That girl, Alison, is TAlenTED! Love!

  5. Image for Preppy Mountain Farmer Preppy Mountain Farmer

    What a beautiful post. We currently have a daughter in jeggings and another in twirly skirts and a tiara. How I wish we could get them through adolescence with that uninhibited ability to dance and whirl with utter joy and exuberance. I suppose faith and example are our best resources.

  6. Image for ren ren

    Thank you so much for offering this! I just found that a dear friend has cancer and will be undergoing a grueling regimen for quite some time to come..... she is devastated. I am going to give a framed copy of this to put near her bed so that she will remember to keep her whirly skirt times in mind, and to recover and go dancing out under the moon and sun.

  7. Image for Deb Miller Deb Miller

    It was such a cool experience when, about a year ago, I reconnected with a childhood friend through Facebook and learned that her husband is Mark D Sanders - writer of this inspiring song! (And many others, of course. He's a prolific country music writer and well known and celebrated)

  8. Image for gina gina

    More than anything (and there are many things)...that post...that song, cemented my loyalty to you/your blog! It's a song that reminds me of my mom to whom I am very close. And makes me cry... every single time! Thanks for the printable!

  9. Image for The CraftStar The CraftStar

    what a great thought and memory....I think everyone in the whole world needs a twirly wirly skirt. :0) And there will be days when your girls will dance with you again, even if it's just in your own living room. Debbi

  10. Image for Susan Susan

    Thank you so very much for sharing this beautiful and poignant printable with us...Alison had done a wonderful job of capturing the joyful wonder this quote is imbued with! I know just who to share this with...my best friend has two daughters...both grown...both dancers...the youngest one is still plugging away at her dream, but the oldest one has given up on dance...I think they could both use the encouragement and support, but most especially the oldest one. I hope your baby girls will always dance like they are wearing twirly whirly skirts...I hope their Mommy will, too! :)

  11. Image for Toni Toni

    You gave me a memory of my gradeschool years when I would sneak out the door with as many of those layered nylon slips in rainbow colors as I possibly could. I would layer them on until when I sat down it took great effort just to corral my skirt under my desk. You are right, the twirly whirly skirts don't last forever on the outside.....but you can retain that twirly whirly spirit on the inside! I dare say all the women in your house are twirly whirly women!

  12. Image for Toni Toni

    You gave me a memory of my grade school years when I would sneak out the door with as many of those layered nylon slips in rainbow colors as I possibly could. I would layer them on until when I sat down it took great effort just to corral my skirt under my desk. You are right, the twirly whirly skirts don't last forever on the outside.....but you can retain that twirly whirly spirit on the inside! I dare say all the women in your house are twirly whirly women!

  13. Image for Tara@lehmanlane Tara@lehmanlane

    I will be sad to see those twirly whirly days go. My 5 year has hers on right now as we get ready to leave for the pool:). As a former dancer I have always loved this song and it's sentiment, we all need to learn how to dance through life! Thanks for the free printable KariAnne and Allison I can't wait to hang it in my house!!! Hope your week is starting off well with your kiddos off at camp:)

  14. Image for Kristen Kristen

    This print is so unbelievably BEAUTIFUL! Love, love, love it! And I love the sentiment behind it too! I wish I could still pull off a twirly whirly skirt!

  15. Image for The Vintage Vixen The Vintage Vixen

    Oh, to be a nine years old in one of those skirts!!! I cannot wait to watch my niece go thru that phase. She is about to turn three, and I plan to twirl and dance with her as much as I am able!!! Thanks for sharing and the printable is beautiful!!!

  16. Image for Cindy Cindy

    Hehehe...you ain't kidding they're gonna roar in like a lion! But, YOULL HAVE A BLAST! The "twirly whirly" skirts will turn into prom dresses, and sure, there'll be "eye rolling"...And while high school can prove to have its challenges, something tells me your gonna do just fine mama:) Thanks for sharing your memories and the print!

  17. Image for Dale Deacon Dale Deacon

    Growing up, I knew I would marry and one day, with a flurry of pink bows and dresses, my daughter would finally arrive. Such anticipation with the first pregnancy but alas, even with the best laid out plan, life has a way of changing things and we learn to adapt. So I was blessed with 2 sons, who hated crafts ( I love crafting, sketching, painting, sewing), while they were the typical boys, rough housing, and into sports. I became a den mother for Cub Scouts, score keeper for little league baseball, soccer team mom, with crazy sleepover parties with 8 boys. I loved it all but my heart still yearned for that little girl. A miracle happened with the arrival of our first grandchild almost 3 years ago and I got my girl at last. She is a vision with her many skirts and accessories at Tutu's (grandmother in Hawaiian) house. Nothing gives me more pleasure then to see her dance and the expression on her face as she is fully living in the moment, that look of freedom and joy is captivating to witness. I too will mourn the day her childhood toys, costumes will be tucked away but thank goodness we have those precious memories locked in our minds which we can revisit. In the mean time, I am still dancing, no longer twirling around with abandonment, but holding those wee little hands in mine, looking into her eyes, and yep, we are both in the moment and loving it. Thanks for sharing, thought provoking as always.

  18. Image for Judy Pimperl Judy Pimperl

    This entire post is just magical! It will be so special for your girls to go back and read this one day...That, to me, is what is so special about blogging-we're saving our words and thoughts to live on in perpetuity. Yes, some are better than others, but they are our thoughts. And this one is beautiful. Judy at Judypimperl.blogspot.com

  19. Image for Sue B. Sue B.

    Thank you for sharing the quote and even better allowing us to print it out to read and inspire all of us everyday.

  20. Image for Amy W. Amy W.

    Awwwwww...Thank-you for your beautiful heart touching story. Yes...the teen years are upon you in raising your precious girls.... as one wise person once shared with me "Just get them through it, have fun, acknowledge those moments when you need to save them from their-selves, but most of all reflect back when you were their same age..and do so with a smile!!" Thank you also for the wonderful poster. I can't wait to print it up for display! Wishing you one super wonderful summer's day!!!!!

  21. Image for Ellenann Ellenann

    Such a great rule to live by!!! Dance while you can.....you never know when the time will come when you can't anymore!

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