Dancing. Magic. Sisters. Moments.

You know those moments in life where time seems to stop and the universe aligns and for that brief moment, everything is right?

My sister and I have shared that exact same moment—about seven years apart. By now, I’m sure you all know how much dancing was a part of my life before I found writing. And my sister and I talk all the time how much it hurts to leave the world and try to live a “normal” life.

But this moment that I’m talking about happened when I was fifteen years old. The Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty is the title (and coveted) role in that production. I was cast as this part, and years later my sister would play the same role. And we both had this magical experience—when standing on stage at the finale, we knew it would be the greatest role we’d ever play—and somehow we knew we’d never have a moment like it again.

I don’t know why certain moments imprint themselves in our memories. Why some moments seem to slow down—so much so that you can feel the energy of it imbedded in your skin. Where it catches your breath and you have to pause—because there’s something different in the air—something that will stick with you for the rest of your life.

So last night, my sister and I got to go see Sleeping Beauty. Sitting next to each other in the audience, we sighed and cried in the same moments, both remembering the choreography to a tee. It was so fun! But then… we shared a moment that transported us back to the original night we performed.

At the end of the performance, we were called up on stage to be recognized as previous Lilac Fairies. And standing there, center stage, was a gift. Because it was a moment in life where we could look back and appreciate the life we had been given—the gift of being able to dance and have those moments in life to look back on, and smile.

So in a way, spending last night with my sister was healing. Although it was bitter/sweet, and it still hurts to miss what was, we still get to look ahead and have those magical memories to be our companion as we travel forward.

Red. Head. Out.

***Oh! And if you’ve noticed, my site is all pretty and new! The amazing Tiana Smith is the brains behind this brilliance. If you guys haven’t checked out her Blog Decorating Site, check it our here! Thank you, Tiana!!!