Give Your Time to Those That Need It | Show Love This Season

Article by Cindy G. Foust

Merry Christmas season to my friends and family in this Bayou community that I love so much. I don’t think I miss a month mentioning that time is flying, but it is, in fact, astonishing that I am sitting in my living room staring at my Christmas tree. If you’re like me, it’s also the time of year, as I get older, when I do a lot of reflecting. Who am I kidding? I reflect every month on the pages of this column, and my lovely editor allows it! Seriously, this column, for nearly 13 years, has allowed me a monthly vehicle to deliver stories about my life, my family’s lives, my friends’ lives…heck, even the teller at the bank’s life. No one is immune if I feel the story will connect with my readers, my friends, who have been here with me for almost 13 years.
When Cassie (and Mare) asked me all those years ago to start a monthly contribution to BayouLife, I had no idea the impact this monthly exercise would have on my life. With all the creative control in the world (well, except I can’t cuss or talk about politics…but sometimes I get the curse word in by rhyming with it, and I just pray I haven’t offended anyone), this monthly column has become a cornerstone in my life. I nurture it. I study for it. I look forward to it. Even the months when I don’t know what I am going to write about until I open my computer and sit on my patio and stare at my donkey, the time I spend writing to my community through the pages of this magazine becomes sacred. A ritual.
And this month is no different. Sometimes, if you’ve been with me for a while, you might get something deep and personal, and some months I might be reviewing and recommending the Hot Wheels City Ultimate Dual Dragon Hauler for your Christmas list. Or making fun of myself, which is pretty easy to do, too, because it keeps things light and fun.
But sometimes, though, I just feel the need to get real. And here I am, in the wee hours of the morning, getting real…again.
I think in large part, it’s because someone that I love very much, my best friend, is struggling. And it’s Christmas. But, as usual, I’m getting ahead of myself.
In June of this year, I had the privilege of writing the obituary for someone who had an indelible and irreplaceable impact on this community. Mrs. Linda Lavender Ford was all the big words…iconic, influential, exceptional. But the most significant word to describe her was humble. I say that with good authority because she had absolutely no idea how adored and beloved she was.
And that adoration spread across generations, of not just dancers, like you might expect, but it crossed the barriers of male and female, dancers and non-dancers, young and old. And she carried herself in this humble, unassuming way throughout every day that we were blessed to have her.
Her story is quite magical, really, the quintessential story of someone who started with a dream to teach her beloved art. A dream that started in her garage and morphed into a dance dynasty. In reflecting on her life over the months since she’s been gone, I really marvel at what she created and the steadfast and determined way she brought dance magic to thousands of lives. She was beautiful and graceful and elegant and well-dressed and well-spoken (all the things I’m not but if Lori French would just hear my plea, I could check a couple of those boxes) but for the things she was outward, she equally matched it inwardly by being gracious and kind and humble and fierce.
Fierce, you might ask? Yes, fierce…and mighty while I’m at it because she was both, and it projected in everything she did, everything she touched. And when she touched it, it emitted pure magic.
As I got up early to write this column, I decided to do it in true Mrs. Linda fashion. I made my coffee (she loved coffee), I turned on the classical music (she loved, although she has been caught doing the “stanky leg” and would likely roll her eyes at me for saying that), turned on my Christmas tree (her favorite season and holiday) and I let my fingers go. Her memory is a treasure to me, to so many, but while the center of this month’s article is Mrs. Linda, we don’t have to look very far to see her legacy. You might think I’m talking about her studios and her dance heritage, and I am, but more importantly, I’m talking about her human legacy, her daughter, and my best friend, Linda Lou.
Linda Lou, who has worked alongside her mother for 58 years and helped build this formidable presence in not just our arts community but this entire region. Linda Lou, who used every resource she had to ensure her mother could pursue her dream of bringing her beloved art form to the lives of thousands of dancers, right up until she had to let her go. Linda Lou, who made sure the studios were clean, that Mrs. Linda’s hair was highlighted, that she had warm Ugg slippers (every day) and good-smelling Jo Malone (I kind of think they smell like a salad bar but no one asks me), and beautiful fur-lined gloves so her hands were always warm. They were Laverne and Shirley, Thelma and Louise (minus the car driving off the cliff), Lucy and Ethel…and I know it’s hard. It’s hard because it’s the only life Linda Lou has known, and for that, I am profoundly sorry.
I’m especially sorry this time of year because while it can be a joyous, fun time, for so many, it can be a time of deep hurt and sorrow. My intent for this month’s column is not to diminish the weight of the holiday season, but rather, to remind us of a couple of things. First, there are angels among us, and Mrs. Linda Ford was one of them. Just look around you, friends, because we all have them in our lives. Second, there are other angels among us that might not stand out like she did, in that fierce and mighty way, but instead, are the quieter, more unassuming ones who are making an impact, as well. Lastly, it is truly the most wonderful time of year…and as we get into the busyness of the season, let us take a moment to look around us and remember that we likely have friends, neighbors, who might be struggling with the season. Take them a coffee, or drop dinner at their house for no reason. The time you take to be thoughtful and sensitive will be the best time you spend. Last Christmas, I had the chance to decorate Mrs. Linda’s house for Christmas…please don’t consider this a shout out to myself, rather take it as what would have been a missed opportunity for one of the most precious gifts I could ask for. That time she and I spent together, she in her chair bossing me around while I decorated her tree will forever be one of the most precious times of my life. And all it cost me? Was a little time. I encourage that attitude this season, readers, look around you and note those that might be struggling or in a season of grief and hurt, and stop your rat race for just a brief moment and reach out to them in some way. I assure you, that will be the greatest gift you will receive this season.
Cindy G. Foust is a wife, mom, author and blogger. You can find her blog at the alphabetmom.com for weekly columns about home life, parenting, small business stories and insight with a smidgen of literacy. Give her a like or follow on Facebook and Instagram.