Looking Back

**I added another picture per a few readers' request...

This morning, on my usual morning perusal of Facebook I noticed something. My high school English/Drama teacher posted a bunch of pictures from plays and the musical I was in.

Wow. It took me back.

May is always a bit nostalgic for me anyways. It's a fun time to look back at graduation and how far I've come in 12 (yes, 12) years. Some people say high school was the best time of their life. That is definitely not the case for me (have you met my husband and son? Told you!). But it was a great time. A time of good friends and great memories. 

So it's fun to look back a bit. Some of my best memories from high school were made in the Green Room (do they still call them that?) and on that stage, with those people.

Wanna peak into that part of my life? 

This is Nic - a dear friend - and I. We played Curly and Laurie in the musical Oklahoma! It was the first time our high school did a musical (it was pretty small to say the least). It was an amazing thing to be a part of - the whole town came out to support us. Every show was sold out to standing-room only. The way people talk about it (still ... now on FB) makes me so happy ... it really meant something to our little community. 

And despite the fact that he is two years younger, gay and I had a "serious" boyfriend I think we did a pretty darn good job of looking like we were in love :) (if you don't know the musical - shame on you! - but this is just after he proposed)! Nic and I formed a really strong friendship that year, and topping it off with this was just the icing on the cake.

See what I mean about great memories? There was another picture from the play we did just after the musical called The Good Doctor. It is a picture of me and my then-boyfriend backstage (btw - the robe was my costume, I wasn't just schlepping around the green room in a robe). Looking blissfully in puppy love. 


Unaware of the changes life was about to bring. Unaware of where our relationship would go and when it would end. Just enjoying that blissful time during Senior Year when you think everything in life is perfect and always will be. And that this will always be your life.


It wasn't, nor was it meant to be that way. And that's okay. The beautiful thing about looking back is the insight and perspective gained. And I feel really blessed to be able to look back with fond memories and gratitude for the experience. And no regrets.


And gratitude for the way those experiences led me to the life I have now. 

So thanks high school ... and my drama/musical friends. You rock.