In the Gift of Time

I made a list of upcoming birthdays and anniversaries for my family "crew". It's amazing how many celebratory moments can embellish a calendar page. As the summer show comes to an end and a new season kicks off, I find myself in the annual dilemma: how to celebrate my husband's birthday.

This will be my twentieth performance at surprising him with a meaningful gift. My fingers itch with excitement over the applause this years gift will warrant. NOT!

Is it just me, or is buying that perfect gift for the leading man in your life torture for anyone else? Anyone? (Cue the crickets)

I've been racking my brain since Christmas to single out a show stopping gift he'll enjoy, appreciate or simply use. It's not that he has it all. He simply wants little and even less of the lime-light. For Kevin the greater gift is no gift. Translation: No Production, Birthday Marquee, Costumes, Guests, etc. But to a person who enjoys celebrating dramatically, giving gifts and blessing loved ones with standing ovations, this is painfully off Broadway. The reality my husband doesn't eat sugar and wants me to spend as little as possible practically predicts a flop.

Does anyone else hear the Mission Impossible theme? So the challenge at hand (should I choose to accept it); give a gift that isn't really a gift, costs next to nothing and will feel special. REALLY? Oh, how I'd love to rewrite this part of the drama (Sigh). I accept...but only because I'm running out of time.

Staring at the clock's menacing ticking hands, an alarm went off. I know exactly what to give Kevin for his birthday...time!

In our culture we are called to be "ON" stage performing in various roles each day. Sometimes having to change costumes and make-up, until we are spinning like the hands on a...you get the point. Looking back to our colorful calendar, I realize this plan of action could actually bring about a hearty "BRAVO!" I'll give Kevin the gift of time and he can determine how to spend it.

There's a saying on the wall in our home; "We do not remember days, we remember moments." I find this true. I dare say, Kevin and I would struggle to recall the many gifts we have exchanged through the years. Yet, we could easily spend a good deal of time, recalling special moments in our lives.

This isn't exactly new in our gift giving. For Christmas the past several years we decided to forgo the melodrama of gift card exchanges. Hoping to bring back the joy in giving, we now gift our adult children special events. In other words we give them time: out on the town, together, and without our perfectly precious grand-babes. They love it and we are inspired! My step-mom gets lunch and an afternoon to catch up on each other's lives. Our drama loving niece prefers going to the theater. And my grand-daughters enjoy celebrating at the tea house.     

So who's on your list of gift recipients over the next few weeks? Have you struggled with what might bring them joy? Perhaps a gift of time is not a one-size-fits-all remedy. Then again..."there's no time like the present!"

Still, when you consider no one is promised tomorrow, a gift of time today may prove more valuable than gold.

Connecting-Unplugged

I bumped into a friend I hadn't seen in awhile.


Having spent nearly six months working on a production, we saw each other regularly. Yet, following final bows our busy lives sent us off in different directions.  She was coming from the gym and I was avoiding it! We stood outside our favorite coffee shop sharing dreams for the year ahead like previews of upcoming attractions.


As I listened with interest and awe (for she looked like she had lost weight), people zipped by us in a flurry of activity. Most had an electronic device in their hand or ear and were engaged in pop-culture communication. Then it happened. My ears began to pick up the one sided responses like a medley.


Suddenly my friend's solo performance turned into a Broadway musical with a choir of vocalists threatening to upstage her. My eyes glazed over as I worked to place her back in the spotlight. All the while I prayed my struggle went unnoticed. A long blink served as a much needed black out which swept the others off the stage. 


It was a pivotal moment in the day: an authentic face to face conversation. I wanted to sip it slowly like my coffee. The Folgers jingle crossed my mind; "the best part of waking up...".


We laughed over the parallels in our lives (we're both mother's of teens), and inquired of summer vacations. I felt joy stretch across my face: this friend made my heart feel light and fresh. I realized how much I had missed our daily connection. Our surroundings became a fog as she shared stories of the past six weeks and how she had lost nearly twenty pounds. She had my full attention.


We hadn't moved in over twenty minutes. I don't mind standing. It burns more calories. Yet, I took notice of  a cozy set of empty chairs on the patio--three feet away--and mentioned we continue our impromptu visit in comfort. Sitting back against a plush pillow, I turned my phone off.


By the time our cups ran dry, we had enjoyed a wonderful hour long chat. A lot can happen over six weeks! We hugged one another good-bye, thankful for our "chance" encounter. And once again--as if on cue--an invisible curtain rose on the coffee shop's patio stage, revealing a company in a dramatic scene of multi-tasking.


As I walked back to my car, I checked my phone...three missed calls. I allowed the car to idle and chill while I joined the chorus line of cell phone performers. The small device felt cool to my hand which had been warmed by a dear friends grasp.

A Blog Is Born

On my way to the theater, I met a friend for a cool drink. After catching up with one another, our conversation turned to my latest “current event”.

In my Technicolor life there is always “something” under construction; a musical to direct, a play to write, a party to plan…room to design, etc. The topic of today’s discussion was my new blog!

Having ventured into the sea of opinions January of 2010, I discovered the joy of writing for an audience beyond the theater. Enter my daily blog; A Journey to Ponder.


Yet, as thrilling as it was to engage readers on the web, my creative DNA was vying for the limelight. For just as; a speaker always has something to say, a writer keeps a pen in hand, a director wants to share her own perspective, or a hostess finds endless reasons to celebrate…a designer desires a clear canvas. My dilemma was putting all these attributes to work in a forum which could singularly be managed. Waa la! A Blog is born!


While my role changes from day to day—or rather event to event—the “something” I have my hands on is likely to be SOMETHING!


So, whether you are in want of inspiration, a laugh or a simple idea for your “current event,” I hope you will return again and again to this forum. One thing is certain; there will always be Drama in the making.