The Current Loves of my Life

Dear medicine,

It's been a rough couple of months. Nearly everyday I have someone worried that my lungs will pop out of my mouth in the middle of a coughing session and right into their hands. As I try to sing and dance at rehearsal, I'm coughing and sneezing and worrying that I'm getting everyone else sick. I even pulled/sprained a muscle in my neck while coughing (the doctor is still determining what actually happened... the x-ray results will be in soon...).



Then... I went to the Target pharmacy and they pointed me in the direction you, oh wonderful medication. Ibuprofen, cough drops, cold medicine, nasal spray, and things doused in honey and lemon. With you, I can make it through three performances in one weekend. In between songs I can pop a cough drop into my mouth, and like magic, I can survive the next dance number. My muscles can relax and for a few moments I don't want to die from neck and back pain.

Let's be friends forever, okay? Or at least until this cough/cold/sinus infection/neck and back pain leave.

Love,
Emily

Dear theatre,

You tend to stress me out sometimes. I'm not going to lie. You make my life crazy, busy, stressful, and irritating. During the rehearsal process I want to kill half of the cast and throw my music across the room because I just can't get that certain harmony right. We have money issues and sick cast members and we don't know how it'll all come together opening night.

Yet, tech week begins. More late nights and stress, but I can see everything unfolding. The characters come to life and the random songs begin to tell a story. Everything changes the moment we step onto the stage under the blinding lights. You show how anything can happen. People can reach their dreams, forgiveness can be shared, people can persevere, and the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Suddenly, I remember why I put myself through the stress and frustration over and over again. I remember how people come together to make something great and share something special with the audience. I remember how much I love taking the audience somewhere they haven't been before and think about things they might not have otherwise. To think about their own dreams and wishes and thoughts. To remind them that no matter how bad things get something good can come out of it. That art can be beautiful as well as important to life.

Thank you theatre for reminding me.

Love,
Emily

Blogtember prompt: A Public Love Letter