Pondering And Remembering

A former high school classmate posted a picture on social media.
It was a picture of my high school auditorium.
I would recognize that room anywhere.
This classmate is now a teacher at the same high school.

Memories came flooding back.
I spent so much time in that auditorium.
Many of us spent countless hours there.
That is where our high school musicals were held.

Hours and hours of practice made that auditorium home away from home.
The stage crew built the sets.
The costume club made the costumes.
Main actors and actresses sang and danced across the stage.

Most of us, including me, were part of the chorus.
We got to have all the fun of being in the musical without the pressure of memorizing lines.
We were really one big family.
When the production was over, there were many tears.

Usually the musical ran for two long weekends.
People came from all over to see the production.
It was really that good.
The chorus and those with minor parts waited in the gym until we were needed on stage.

When our former classmate posted the picture, I read one of the comments.
It was from a friend who remembered one musical in particular.
Her memories were exactly as I remember.
I truly do not know how we did what we did.

The musical that year was Funny Girl.
The set was an elaborate staircase on which many important scenes took place.
The girls in the chorus wore lovely old-fashioned costumes.
We dressed in long fancy dresses, with large hats, and some even carried a parasol.

In order to come down the elaborate staircase, we had to climb up an unseen ladder.
Imagine a line of girls in long dresses, trying to climb a ladder on cue.
Once at the top, there was a small landing on which we waited until it was our turn.
Then we, ever so carefully, ever so elegantly, walked down the staircase.

If the audience could only have seen the behind the scenes.
If the audience could only have seen us hoisting our dresses up so we could climb safely.
There was no room for error.
Timing was everything.

The elegant men and women, we were supposed to be, were simply taking a stroll.
On the arm of our partner, we slowly walked across the stage in pretend conversation.
I remember being taller than my partner.
I remember us reaching the end of the stage and having to dash back to do it all over again.

One picture of our old auditorium was all it took.
It made me think of a line from Barbara Robinson’s book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
There are no small parts, only small actors.
Many of us had small parts, but we knew that we were needed to complete the whole.

We may look at someone’s family picture.
We have no idea what it took to get that one shot.
We have no idea of the laughing and giggling that took place.
We have no idea of the tears when the little ones get tired.

We just see the finished product.
Like the unseen, wooden ladder we had to climb, we never know what goes on behind the scenes.
That is a good thing.
We do not always have to know the back story to appreciate the beauty.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)

Even Jesus’ mother, Mary had memories.
After the shepherds came to see baby Jesus in the manger, they told others about Him.
Mary heard the things that they were saying.
Mary treasured the things she heard; she pondered them so she could remember.

It is good to ponder and remember.
We remember the behind the scenes things.
We remember the hidden ladders and the running back stage to do it all over again.
The memories make us smile.

That precious memory triggers another…(2 Timothy 1:5)

Triggered memories are a good thing, especially when they are shared.
One photo was all it took.
One photo brought me back to a very special time in my life.
What things are you remembering today?

 

2 responses to “Pondering And Remembering”

1. Gina, That verse from Luke is always in my heart, because it is important for us to be like Mary. She was living in the moment and remembering everything that was happening, so that she could have sweet memories when the time had passed. Our memory is a precious gift from God. I think God gave me that gift to help get me through trials in life. One of His many blessings!

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   • Karen,
     You and I have the same memories of the musicals, the ladder we had to climb, and this auditorium. How special to have a friend that remembers elementary and high school right along with me. Blessings, friend.
     Gina

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