Dancing Naked (30 page)

“I’ve missed you too, Shawn,” Kia said, knowing exactly what Shawna meant. It had been a long and sometimes lonely detour, but Justin was right. With her eyes wide open, it had been an amazing journey.

The light from the full moon illuminates the trees standing strong and dignified at the edge of the forest. She is one with them, exposed to the elements without fear, without shame. The music of the universe drums inside her head, inside her heart. She lifts her outstretched arms to the night sky, feeling her spirit surge through her entire being, reborn, alive. It rushes down her arms to her fingertips, down her legs to her toes. With complete abandon she twirls around and around, the cool night air licking at her bare skin, the spongy, damp grass the perfect dance floor.

As she dances she peels off the remaining garb of her past, the attire that is no longer her. She is still a daughter, still a mother, but now she will wear the strong fabric of self-knowledge, fashioning a new identity, one that is both innocent and wise, sensitive and resilient.

She dances, and as she dances, the spirit of Grace joins her. They dance together, wild and free.