Friday the 13th. People have different reactions to this day varying from disregard to going along for the fun of a silly superstition to actually believing it’s a bad luck day. My oldest brother, Stephen, was born on Friday the 13th and it was the start of the earthly life of a beautiful human being. And so it is never thought of any differently than “good luck” to me. My brother isn’t with us anymore. He hasn’t been for some time. He died as a young adult and will forever be missed and loved.
That day nearly 65 years ago marked the start of something wonderful and new. This Friday the 13th- today- marks the end of something wonderful. Rachel- you remember, my dancer- just danced her very last time with the dance team that she’s been part of for the past eight years. Rachel started dancing at eight years old then transferred studios where she took classes for a year before joining the team. Three of this year’s numbers earned a coveted spot in the big “Dance Off” which was held this morning. The last number of the entire event was her senior tap number. Tap at her studio has a long tradition of excellence. When we found out they had made it in she was so thrilled because, as she put it, “it’s a legacy” and being a part of the continuation of that as a senior was very special. 40 regional competitions and eight national competitions, dozens of pairs of tights, countless costumes, and hundreds of false eyelashes later she has put a bow on her senior year of dance.
For me, dance and our home studio of Elite will forever be tied in my brain and my heart to both Rachel and TJ. Once he started dancing Rachel often helped him with his technique and had offered to teach him tap if he wanted to try it out. He was happy with ballet, jazz, and hip hop but loved showing her his splits and Russian jump. Elite is also the home of a family of dancers with big hearts. They supported us during TJ’s illness (and even more so when he died) in very compassionate and concrete ways. They also sponsored our foundation’s first memorial 5k this past fall. With dedication and passion the studio has stood behind us and our cause. I will miss seeing them every week and hope to stay close to them in the coming years.
So here we are on Friday the 13th. The end of an era has come. I don’t see it as good or bad luck. Just more changes that seem to keep coming.
