The Brookwood Blessing

The Adventure has led me here to St. Petersburg as I pursue my passion for the hoop and all it has to offer me, as well as the world. I have been assisting Abby in many Hoola Monster endeavors, such as Saturday morning markets, classes, workshops, and my favorite things so far, charity based events. Out of all of the events I have participated in, there is one that is calling me to share with all of you.
There is a home for girls called Brookwood. These girls are 12-18 in age, and are in this home for various reasons. Perhaps they have been schlepped from foster home to foster home, with no success for adoption. Maybe they were taken away from their families due to abuse, neglect, or legal causes. I do not know why any of these girls at such a vulnerable age are living at Brookwood, as opposed to living in warm, nurturing, loving households. All the same, I am blessed to have been able to be able to be a part of a an hour long workshop that facilitated smiles on faces that most likely are turned downward daily, looking at the ground, feeling like there is no reason to look up.
When we arrived the girls who greeted us looked at us like we were slightly crazy. I’m used to this, actually. For me, having hoops on my shoulder is totally natural, like a fifth appendage. I don’t even think about what it might look like to someone else. So when these girls saw us coming with 45 brightly colored hoops wearing tanks sporting the Hoola Monsters logo and smiles from ear to ear, they were basically wondering “What the F*#@?!” They helped us carry our things inside, but under their breath were mumbling about how they were certainly not going to participate in something as stupid and silly as this, they were not about to exercise, and certainly didn’t want to do anything fun. One girl, when I mentioned Hoop Dance being super-fun, said ‘I don’t have fun. And I definitely don’t dance’. I just smiled on the outside, but my heart was breaking.
Most of the girls were still asleep when were ready to start. A couple of the girls, one named Tori in particular, were seriously excited. She went to go wake up the other girls, enthusiastic about the pink hoop she had already claimed as hers for the day. Abby and I turned on some music and danced away while more girls trickled in. I could tell they were impressed and intrigued. It showed they wanted to be a part of this. I could also tell by the expressions on their faces that they had not had this kind of fun before. I could tell that our appearance (fit, smiley, skilled attractive females) intimidated them. These girls seemed rough and tough, so for something that was on the opposite end of the spectrum of rough and tough to intimidate them had to be uncomfortable. There were a handful of girls that picked up hoops and started hooping and smiling right away. Thank goodness that joy is contagious! More and more girls started picking up hoops and giving it a try. There were a few who didn’t get it right away and left. Hopefully they will find time to pick up the hoop we left behind and try it again. A few of the girls, who in the beginning were just observing and refused to participate, finally got up and let loose. They were having such a good time. I could tell it had been a long while since they shared laughter and love like that with anyone.
As Abby was instructing, I was walking around helping each girl if she had any questions or needed help. I came to Tori, who had tears and frustration in her eyes. She wasn’t getting it. She was feeling like a failure. After a little while of doing my best to communicate the tricks and moves in different ways, she still was having trouble. She sat out for a while. I said a silent prayer, sending her love and encouragement.
After a while it was time for the jam circle. The jam circle is a staple of every hoop class Abby teaches. It is a time for all the participates to gather in a circle, each one getting time to be in the middle of the circle and jam out, while the outside of the circle cheers and claps, supportive of the dancer in the middle. I could see fear on Tori’s face. She wanted to participate, but she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to do the things we had learned. I told her to do whatever she wanted in the middle of that circle. I told her there we no rules to hoop dancing, and she could express herself any way she wanted with the hoop. ‘How long can I stay in the middle and dance?’ she asked. “As long as you want”, I said encouragingly, and with a smile. Tori was the first one to dance in the circle, eager and excited. She did some super cool, amazing moves that we hadn’t gone over, and everyone loved it. She stepped out of the middle with a smile so big it brought tears to my eyes. Tori had a powerful affect on me. She affirmed for me that when all else fails, do it your way. Be you! Thank you to Tori, wise in her 16 years of existence.
When Abby and I concluded the workshop, girls were begging us to stay longer, to come back, to leave all of the hoops, and telling us how much fun they had. These were the same girls who despised the very idea of hoop dancing only an hour earlier. It was a transformation incomparable to anything I’ve ever seen. There were girls who were teary-eyed asking us to please come do birthday parties for their little siblings and parents who they hadn’t seen in a long time. They wanted to spread the hoop love to the people that they loved. This expanded my heart on a profound level. By being who I am, I am changing lives and making a difference, making someone’s day brighter and replacing frowns with smiles. One beautiful girl, named Leah, even asked for my autograph. She asked me to sign a business card I gave her. That took my breath away. It is amazing the effect one can have by sharing a passion. As humans, we are who we are, and it may never be revealed to us in our human form the effect we have on those around us. Our actions and words are so powerful, and the girls at Brookwood reminded me of this important Truth. It was so rewarding for me to watch these girls dance and smile, engage with each other, encourage each other, play with each other, and thrive despite their destitute and discouraging situations. I am so blessed. So, so, so blessed to have the awareness I have and it is my duty that I lovingly take on to share it with everyone, even those that have fallen through the cracks of society’s broken foundation. I realized how much light I have to spread and share, and the hoop has been a tool that has enabled me to do that. This experience, The Brookwood Blessing, allowed me to remember that Spirit has given me many gifts and talents to share with others, and I vow not to waste this. I am of service to my fellow sisters and brothers, and so happy to be! Thank you, wonderful young women of Brookwood, for mirroring for me how love looks in all forms.