I Reminisced, I Cried, I Remembered.

Today’s SOUL STORY (below) is inspired by my visit to a place nestled in the woods. A space that shaped my life as a creative and human being. Musical. Memorable. Eight life-changing summers at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.

To stroll amongst the pines, during a season I had never experienced here, was soul stirring. Nature’s wind section blew through a rainbow of fluttering fall leaves.

I reminisced. I cried. I remembered. I walked these same steps behind the stage in which I’d performed in operettas, choir, and dance. And salty, liquid memories trickled down my chilly cheeks.

Interlochen indelibly impacted who I am today. A safe space, which I didn’t know as a child, but I am now understanding at a profound level. I’ll share more about this in the weeks and months to come.

As the mother of two teens, which I still cannot believe, the past and present fused as I stood on the same sand, by the same lake, several decades later. When I was a camper in the ‘80s and early 90s, I’d sit here on a breezy afternoon, pouring my feelings on paper. Memories washed through my mind as the lake lapped the shoreline.

My wish for you this week is that you go back in time, hopefully to something beautiful and blissful. And allow space for it all—the love, joy, pain, growth, and loss. Sometimes we need to go backward to move forward.

When is the last time you visited a place from your childhood and how did you feel?

Reach out either here or on social media. I’d love to connect with you.