Taylor Swift seems to write all her songs about her lost loves and what she has learned from those experiences. Her new song, “Shake It Off” is a perfect example. When I first heard it on the MTV Video Awards, I was underwhelmed. Then, the Today Show showed a piece of a youtube video of a father and daughter dancing to the song and I have loved the song ever since.
The video of father and daughter has nearly eight million hits! Of course, the child is adorable and the father and daughter letting loose and being silly is precious. That is the point. Most parents somehow feel that silly is not appropriate with children. Somehow they feel embarrassed to let loose. It is up to grandparents to be silly again with grandchildren. Here we have a father who gets it. Becoming childlike and have child joy is not a bad thing.
I like the second verse and chorus of “Shake It Off:”
I never miss a beat
I’m lightning on my feet
And that’s what they don’t see, mmm-mmm
that’s what they don’t see, mmm-mmm
I’m dancing on my own (dancing on my own)
I make the moves up as I go (moves up as I go)
And that’s what they don’t know, mmm-mmm
that’s what they don’t know, mmm-mmm
But I keep cruising
Can’t stop, won’t stop grooving
It’s like I got this music
In my mind
Saying, “It’s gonna be alright.”
‘Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off
Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break
And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake
Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off
Shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off
Taylor Swift gets it! The message in the song is one we want to share with our grandchildren. The song is on the radio day and night. Sing it with your grandchildren. Be silly with it with the grandchildren and discuss the message: We own ourselves and who we are and it does not matter what others think.
And there is another message: “Shake it off.” “Wipe it off.” This is a concept this Grandma learned in yoga. Sometimes we feel as if we have absorbed the bad energy of those around us. Sometimes we have suffered too much bad. . . .anything. “Shake it off.” “Wipe it off.”
Actually taking your hands and wiping down your arms, your body, your legs can be cathartic–almost like a shower, wiping away the bad feelings and bad energy makes you feel better. This is a powerful tool to give the grandchildren–a concrete way to make oneself feel better.
Just like Taylor Swift. We can dance to shake it off and shake all bad feelings off whenever we need a release and to heal ourselves. Show the grandchildren how to physically wipe away bad when they need to. That is what grandparents are for: to teach life lessons and have fun doing it. “It’s going to be all right. “
Don’t be worried that the video is too mature. Disney has the ad on the video before it is shown. Now here is Taylor Swift singing her song on youtube.
This Taylor Swift version has over 200 million views! Join it ready to dance and shake with grandchildren. Show them how to shake it off with
Joy,
Mema
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