So, we meet again, Feelers…
This month, we were given a theme of “What makes you come alive?”- and you know, I really thought about this, because each of us will have different answers to this question. There are so many different facets to life, in general, but when you really sit down and think about the things that make us come alive- It can mean so many things.
We’ve all experienced events in life that are amazing- that make us jump for joy inside- that make us come alive, but not all things that make us come alive are huge events-a lot of times, it is the simplest of things that give us joy and life.
I’ve made a list of simple things that are so ordinary, many of us wouldn’t even think of as life-giving moments, but that make ME come alive- and then I will share one big event, filled with a myriad of little moments that gave me so much joy and life. While looking at my list, I challenge each of you to make your own list of things that make YOU come alive.
- That first sip of coffee in the morning
- A great text or phone call from my daughter
- Fantastic conversations with friends
- Seeing a crazy idea come to fruition and end up being wonderful
- Knowing that it’s never too late to learn something new
- Coming home to a dog that is so excited to see me, she can’t contain herself!
- Seeing the moon in the sky on a bright, sunny day
- Seeing the moon and the stars on a clear, bright night
- The beautiful shade of blue on a sunny morning
- All of the shades of green that emerge in Spring
- Feeling loved and supported
- Feeling appreciated
- Taking a walk (however short)in nature and being surrounded by the majesty of what’s around me
- The smell of the first grill-outs on a warm day (mmmm…burgers…)
- Feeling accomplished after completing a baking project
- A kind and empowering comment that comes unexpectedly
- A smile from a stranger
- Gestures of kindness
- The joy of new friendships forming
- The gratitude, comfort and love of long, established, ever-evolving friendships (not gonna say “old” LOL)
And now for the big event that gave me so much joy and life…
I dedicate this last portion to the cast and crew of the recent Harrison Players production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
This show was a two-year labor of love, and it was worth every second! Community Theater is a wonderful, live-giving outlet for so many people, and I am so proud, and filled with life-giving joy at how this musical turned out.
Production began on Priscilla in late Fall of 2019, and less than three weeks before performances were to begin (March 12, 2020 to be exact) the world shut down. We (the cast, crew and production team) kept in communication through the lockdowns, anticipated performing at certain points only to be forced into more postponements due to the state of the world, and kept our dream for this show alive. During the course of two years, so many changes occurred- dates, visions of the production, commitments from original cast members…and ultimately, we were forced to entirely reimagine the show, because we were left with around four original cast members and a huge mission to perform this show!
Fast-forward from December 2021 to April 8, 2022: From auditions, to rehearsals, to more auditions, to the joy and amazement of finding the most amazing couple that made all of the props and specialty head-pieces (if you know Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, you KNOW the head-pieces!), to the unexpected moments of crazy ideas that turned into amazing realities, to finding the perfect gold sequined gown for one of the lead actor’s final drag costume (I mean, it was perfect!), to a brilliant production team, and an even more brilliant cast…I could go on for days…
All of the small moments that led to the triumph of this production were so life-giving, and kept us all pushing forward with the goal of achieving more at all times. It was a beautiful experience, and I am so proud of every single person who was involved in making this show happen. The entire experience truly made me come alive in ways that are so amazing!
Now go and make your own list! Love to each of you.
