enJOY it by Elise Blaha Cripe

poem.

So.  I currently do not have any of my own thoughts to share.  But.  I was cleaning out the harddrive and found this poem.  I saved it because it reminded me of my own group.  My own groups.  My girls up here and my girls at SC.  So happy to have my girls.

You'll find there's a family of friends living here,
A small group of minds, and of hearts;
With some of us clever and some of us not,
At times you can't tell us apart.

There's one who is cranky, and one who is shy,
And one who is really uncouth;
And just when you think you have discovered who's who,
You'll really uncover the truth.

The truth that we're all just a little of each,
A group of imperfects are we
And sometimes I might criticize them to you,
But don't ever knock them to me.

'Cause the one thing that ties us together for life-
no matter how far we're apart,
Is love for each other, a family of friends
A small group of minds, and of hearts.

remember.

Last night, after watching the high school videos, I looked through my old photos.  From back in the day when I did not have digital and every image got printed.  I have thousands of photos.  Many of them are from cheer.  Football season, basketball season, cheer camp, rallies, etc.

So glad to have all the photos.  All the memories. 

nostalgia.

Feeling it.  Big time.

Had the urge to watch my senior video.  And then the 2003 Rio Fashion Show.  Mine, not Robbie's.  So cool to see all of those faces again.  To remember how happy I was then.  How unbelievably wonderful my senior year of high school was.

So nice to look back.  To remember that time.  To watch it replay.  A lot has happened since high school.  A lot has clouded my view of what used to be.  So nice to remember it as it was.  An amazing time.  With amazing people.  People I will cherish the memory of forever.  People who on video can still make me laugh until I cry.

bachelorette.

So...

Went out last night to Centro.  Enjoyed good Mexican food.  Drank a little.  Walked to Blue Cue.  Drank a little more.  Met some people.  Laughed a lot.  Taxied it to Avalon.  Paid the $15 cover.  Went in.  Used the restroom.  Drank a lot.  Realized we were supposed to be at Empire.  Taxied to Empire.  Was out of cash.  K paid my second $15 cover.  Switched to water.  Danced a lot.  Took some photos.  Continued to laugh. 

Celebrated for sure.  Congrats, Miss Penny.  The Bride-to-Be.  Wonderful night.  Going to be a wonderful wedding.

this one.

Seven years ago.  I met this one.  At the 1999 Rio Americano Good-Bye Rally.  I watched a class of seniors exit the Big Gym.  I felt promise.  Felt in awe that I was going to spend the next four years in this gym.  In a cheer skirt.  Dancing around.  Getting proud.  So much possibility was in that gym.

Today.  I sat with this one.  At the 2006 Rio Americano Good-Bye Rally.  I watched the little bro exit the Big Gym.  I felt shock that seven years have passed.  Felt in awe that once upon a time this gym felt huge.  Awe over how much I have changed and grown.  How much have learned...through my education, my friendships, my relationships, my experiences.  So many possibilities exist for me because of the growth that took place inside this gym. Because of the person I became while dancing around in this gym.

So exciting to see Robbie taking the next step.  Exiting the building.  Following me again to such a great new place.  So exciting to realize that he is just starting a new adventure.  And that his adventure will be just as unique as mine.

Even more exciting to realize that today, seven years later, I have the same friends by my side.  My girls. My life.