Thank God for ...............Zumba!!!

I have never been a good dancer. My cousin who tried to teach me once as a young teen told me, "Claudia, a transvestite dances better than you" (he was probably right).  I am "Latina" so you are probably saying I should probably be able to dance but.............I can't. Yeah, I can dance a little and go with the beat but I can't dance the way I should be able to and the way I would like to. As a young teen, dancing in a Latin family was as essential as breathing. Coming from a large family, there was always a birthday, anniversary, baby shower, that we went to, at least twice a month. At every function dancing was surely to be the center of the event. I would cringe at the thought of going to the parties because I knew one of my uncles would take me out to dance and I would most surely step on their feet and they would once again be reminded on what a talented dancer I was.  I was a "Project" to all my uncles.  Who would be able to teach me to dance Salsa, Merengue, Bachata or move at all?  No one was successful.  I had another cousin who told me I was a white girl trapped in a Spanish girls body (no offense but I think even "white girls" can move better than I can, my Caucasian friends move really well).  My Friend Leslie and Aimee can move their hips like they were Shakira.  When I got to College, you wouldn't believe how comfortable I got with dancing.  I guess it must have been the alcohol that let me relax and be free to move as I pleased.  I loved it, I felt like I had rhythm and those "white girls" they thought I could DANCE....the Spanish girls and Spanish boys and white girls who had rhythm...............well, they saw that I still couldn't.  So I had found the freedom of dancing to my hearts content with the help of "Labatt Blue" and shots of "Lemon Drops".  I still did not dare dance at those family functions but I just laughed to myself at those PARTIES because I had a secret.....I knew that back in Buffalo....I COULD DANCE.  That dancing continued after college which is how I met my Fabio, he thought I dance fine until he met my family and realized that I couldn't.  My sisters were always such good dancers and moved so freely......I did not get the gene.  I danced and danced and danced until I became a mother.  Yeah, I dance at a wedding here or there and with my kids (but they don't seem to mind mommy can't bust the move) but I have not danced at a Club or a Bar in a long time.  I have tried......believe me...I really have....but I can't seem to get that spark.  UNTIL ZUMBA. Oh boy, Zumba has opened a part of me that I thought was gone.  When I first started the class, I felt a little intimidated and nervous but now after going so many times I LOVE IT.  I feel free again to dance the way I used to (or feel like it).  I went with a friend tonight who I use to dance with back in my college years and she actually said "Claudia, you are not moving the way you use to, what happened to your rhythm".  She didn't see it during class?  I responded "It's there, its just exhausted from work and being a mother but it's there."  She looked at me puzzled.  Hey, I know I will never be  JLO's or Madonna's backup dancer but right now I am just loving that fact that I can move.  Zumba takes me away from everything.  I forget I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a friend, I forget work  and most of all I forget I have RA.  I am young single Claudia, the one from college who danced and loved it.  I am happy with that for now.