Thanksgiving is time for families to get together, enjoy various meals and family traditions. Our family is no different, in that we enjoy and love the company of each other. One tradition, though, that our family enjoys is dancing. Our mother, may she rest in peace, would be the first one on the dance floor whenever we had family functions.
We have several people in our family for whom wellness is their life. In addition to this writer, we have my older sister who has her own brand of African Dance workout which has kept me fit. There is also my niece @coachcassfit who has her African Dance intensive classes and in collaboration with her mother take people on African Wellness trips.
So, it’s no surprise that when the family gathers at another sister’s house on the east coast, Coach Cass puts together a routine or two or eight for after dinner. This year was no different, but my family wasn’t able to make it so I asked Coach Cass to send us a routine for us to learn as well. The result is this awesome video showing the east coast family and the midwest family each performing in their respective locations to the same music.
The slight differences in the routine towards the end is because Coach Cass modified her version. I do believe it adds to the whole excitement of the process. Please watch and share with as many people as you can. In the world today where vitriol has become common place, we all need a Thanksgiving Family Dance for 2017.
To understand this family you would have to understand the Matriarch of this family. My mother, Margaret Kyereboah was originally from Ghana, West Africa. When my father came to the United States to Get his advanced degree in divinity, we followed a year later. My mother had a successful bakery business in Ghana, but gave it up to come to the Unites States with her children and to be with her husband. In the US, life was not as easy and the jobs my mother would take on, such as food service jobs, were a far cry from her life as an entrepreneur. Nonetheless, she persevered to give her children and husband what they needed.
My mother was also very altruistic and had many “adopted” sons, daughters and grandchildren. She would even go as far as to give birthday gifts to her “adopted” family and would be there to cheer them on at their respective graduations. In addition to showing love constantly to others, she loved to celebrate any occasion with dance. My mother would be on the dance floor and boy could she move! It was tradition at thanksgiving dinners that the evening culminates into dancing. If you were visiting, you would not soon forget this Thanksgiving gathering. This love of life, was passed to the rest of us as well. Unfortunately, my mother passed away in 2011 after she lost her battle with cancer. We still carry on this tradition in our respective locations. It is my hope that this video brought a smile to your face as you watched it and encouraged you to start your own traditions or continue the ones you already have.
I would love to know what traditions your family has. Leave them in the comments below and always cherish your family!
