I began the year with a <strong>dance off playdate</strong> with World's Most Precious Niece.  I ended the year Zumba-ing my tushie off with my Nana.

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Technically, this was a parallel playdate because Nana lives in Florida.  On a fine and crisp Saturday morning, Nana checked into her weekly Zumba class in Florida while I tried one out for the first time in Arizona.  Nana had been raving about Zumba for ages, and I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.

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Yes, that's right.  I am a newbie, but Nana Zumbas regularly.  She's 91.  (You may have met her a few months ago over <strong>here.</strong>)

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If you are unfamiliar with Zumba, it is <strong>Here.</strong>

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My seemingly Most Popular Facebook Post Ever happened on a whim (I'm terrible at posting regularly to fb) and featured Nana.  This will give you a little glimpse into Nana's life and how she inspires others through her joie de vivre :

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<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11927" rel="attachment wp-att-11927"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11927" alt="http://www.facebook.com/diaryofalatebloomer" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-3.36.19-PM.png" width="407" height="815" /></a>

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That's my Nana!  It took her TWO WEEKS to get back to me after that phone call!

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Was I annoyed?  Hardly.  Instead, I was OVERJOYED that she is having so much fun that she forgets to call her first-born grandchild.

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You see, Nana nearly died a year ago last November.  She suffered a bad fall, hit her head, and developed a clot on her brain.  The doctor explained to my family that her injury was cause to operate on a younger person, but brain surgery was out of the question for a 90 year-old.

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The doctor changed his mind days later when Nana's condition worsened.  She wasn't eating (this is about as normal for a Portuguese woman as it is for an Italian!), her speech was slurred, and she was confused.

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When I talked to her on the phone the night before the surgery, I thought that was the last time I would hear my grandmother's voice.  How many 90 year-olds survive brain surgery?  Even the doctor advised against it until there was no other option.

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<strong>13 months later . . . . </strong>

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Nana is living the life with her sister at the Senior Dorm.  In addition to the activities listed above, she is also a regular at Sit and Be Fit, Bible Study, Choir Practice and receives dancing invitations at Happy Hour.

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Oh, and I should probably also mention that at age 76, Nana was in a horrific car accident and was life-flighted to the nearest trauma center.  After making it through days in ICU, she was finally released to a hospital room.

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Later that night, we were called to the hospital at 1 a.m. to say our goodbyes.  Nana was hemorrhaging uncontrollably through her nose.  She was back in ICU, and she was on her last blood transfusion.  Miraculously, an ER doctor came to the rescue and saved her life by inserting a urinary catheter (of all things!) up her nose.

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Not only is Nana the poster child for Late Blooming, but she is also the second coming of the Energizer Bunny!  :-)

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My apologies for the long backstory, but I think her story is absolutely remarkable.  And I didn't even delve into the 6 month depression post-brain surgery, and Nana's refusal to leave the beautiful home my late grandfather built for her in order to move into the Senior Dorm!

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<strong>Just when Nana thought her life was doomed, she bloomed.  </strong>

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Which brings us full circle to Zumba.

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Listen, I'm not one of those dancy-dancy types.  Did I ever take dance as a child?  No.  Was I on drill team in high school?  No.  Have I ever in my entire life felt cool or comfortable dancing in a group setting such as  Did I dance in the chorus in theatrical productions in high school and college?  Technically, "yes", but . . . . that's chorus dancing.  That's not the same thing as "shake your sexy groove thing" dancing.

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In other words, I never tried Zumba because I was <em>intimidated</em> by Zumba.  This white girl can't dance.  Which is puzzling because I'm 50% Portuguese.

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