If those moments could come back...

It was raining (as it is happening right now too) yesterday evening... Because of that, the little concert that was held in the park in our town didn't have a huge audience and people who would dance around. You can imagine that it is not so easy to dance with umbrellas in your hands. Wiggle a bit, that could be done, but still, it was not so comfortable.

I also left the event, though the musicians showed themselves quite good ones. Also, it is more enjoyable if you have the proper ambience around you - others who share the same energy and vibes for expressing those good feelings by moving their bodies to the rhythm of the music. Hmm, not many dancers happened to be there, but I repeat, it was the rain that swiped away the possibility of converting the soil in the park into a kind of dance floor.

Though this post started in this spirit, I am not here to talk about this tiny event that happened yesterday. I am here to tell you about a person who truly liked to dance and sing, not professionally, but for her fun and for us at home. Always with a smile on her face, she used to tell the stories from her youth, including the social events she was attending.

If you have already noticed the next photo I think it can be easily guessed that I am talking about my grandmother. She was my maternal grandma and would have her birthday today... I remembered about that a couple of days ago, but unfortunately, I can't call her and wish her a happy birthday. She is no longer with us.

This is a photo of my grandmother taken some years before the Second World War.
We see her in a white dress, probably after (or before?) the event of her First Communion (at that time, people mainly went to a photographer just for special occasions). She looks so serene in the photo, though, according to her anecdotes, she was always full of energy and ready to do some mischief. You remember the colouring of the pages of this collection, right? 😉

The war left some marks on the family and her older brother went missing due to his beliefs and loyalty to the brotherhood he belonged to but life had to continue. My grandma grew into a beautiful young lady who continued with her positive energy. She became a hairdresser and established her own business (together with my grandfather). I am so proud of the fact that they were the most famous hairdressers in town!

Their circle of friends was wide and they often went to dance events. And did you know that those dance events at that time had a lot of importance? A dance hall was a place for socializing, a place where you could listen to music, dance, maybe fall in love, see all your friends but also negotiate with business partners.

source of video

I am not sure if my grandma could dance the tango like this, but I do know she talked a lot about waltzes. I have never got those steps correctly, though she tried to teach me.

One, two three, one two three.

One step forward, then step aside and close. Step back, aside and close.

It never worked for me!! 😂 Well, I learned the steps, but it was still not the case that I could dance it properly and with grace. If dance it at all, to be honest. 😁

But if not dancing, we had other fun with my grandma. The stories that she used to tell me immensely entertained me and sometimes she was singing me. (There was one song she liked to sing, but I didn't understand it and it seemed just silly to me.) I used to go to her house every Sunday (with my family) but also several days during the week. Her house was located in the strict centre of the town, a few minutes away from the school so I went there after my regular lesson, had lunch with her, listened to her anecdotes, played and rested and went back to the music school lessons. For years, until I went to a different city to live (for my high school).

Those were some good times, in childhood. If they could somehow come back, just for a moment, I would even sing with her that song I didn't understand when I was small, and hug her, a lot, today and every day.