“I Hope You Dance” Encourages Leading Life to the Fullest

“I Hope You Dance,” written by Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers and performed by LeeAnn Womack, is a song about following the road less traveled and making active, positive choices. So many people approach the end of life with regrets: “If only I had…” or “I wish I had made more time for…” This song encourages people to recognize the opportunities that come their way and think consciously about how they want to respond to them.

Credit: societyhilldance.com

I heard this song for the first time at the funeral of one of my hospice clients. The song touched me so deeply that I asked his family about it. They told me that their father had been a happy man who always had time to laugh at a good joke and never shrank from a tough challenge.

A few days before he died, he told his eldest son that he had done everything he wanted to do in this life. He looked forward to an afterlife full of new opportunities. The family thought, “I Hope You Dance” was a fitting tribute to their father.

As some of the lyrics say:

“I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance.

Never settle for the path of least resistance.

Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’.

Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’…

And when you get the chance to sit it out or dance,

I hope you dance…I hope you dance.”

Since then, I have regarded this song as a personal challenge. It’s easier to “sit it out.” You don’t risk looking foolish. You don’t have to worry about your heart being broken. You also don’t get the chance to invite wonderful things into your life.

So, the next time someone asks you to dance, take him or her up on it. You might be disappointed, but it also might be the best thing that ever happened to you.