“She spins and she sways to whatever song plays, without a care in the world. And I’m sitting here wearing the weight of the world on my shoulders. It’s been a long day and there’s still work to do. She’s pulling at me saying, “Dad, I need you! There’s a Ball at The Castle, and I’ve been invited, and I need to practice my dancing!”
Oh, please! Daddy, please!”
So I will dance with Cinderella while she is here in my arms. ‘Cause I know something the prince never knew. Oh, I will dance with Cinderella, I don’t want to miss even one song. ‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight and she’ll be gone.”
– Lyric from “Cinderella” by Stephen Curtis Chapman
The story-behind-the-story of this song is a heart breaker, but even without it, there’s a lesson worth learning.
We get so hard-wired to focus on logic and outcomes and processes and facts that it feels like we rarely put our heart in to things any more. We get so directed toward “what we ought to be thinking” (or doing) that it’s become too freakin’ easy to miss the inspiration that is right there beside us.
This Christmas season, the Eldest of The Three Who Will Not Be Tamed has evolved to become a co-conspirator, and the Middle of The Three is wondering if the gig is “too good to be true.” But the Youngest is, shall we say, dressed and ready for the Ball at The Castle. She still “gets it,” in a world that is hell-bent on getting “it” out of her.
Kids see the world as being full of possibility. Full of games. Full of laughter. Full of opportunity. I’m not sure at what age we start to suck the magic out of them — or at what age it began to get sucked out of us — but I wonder if we shouldn’t make an effort to stop the sucking.
In business, it’s not that measuring and process aren’t important, but without inspiration, what will be left to measure or to build a process around?
I wonder if we put the heart back into our workaday lives, if that won’t make a difference…
Speaking of heart, and kids, and GETTING IT, if you can watch this clip without crying, check your heart….it might be missing. Justin (and his parents / coaches / teammates) definitely GET IT…
Tom Gelin says
Thanks Steve,
Now everyone is going to be wondering why I look so sad for the next 2 hours.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom, the lyrics, and that heartfelt video.
Tom
Steve Heston says
Amazing how good we all have it, eh, Tom? I try to teach the kids to be good to “the underdogs” in life — as my folks tried to teach me. I wonder if maybe the kids aren’t better teachers than we are, and if maybe they’re also better students…
Pam Wilson says
Love that song, Steve. And how right you are to cherish every teeny second of your children and all their phases. Thank you for your words of encouragement and strength particular this week. God bless you.
Lindee says
It brought tears…and missed breaths. Thank you very much for sharing, Steve!