I had the wonderful blessing of singing with 3 amazing girl friends in a quartet from 8th - 12th grade. Truly it even lasted over graduation - we would sing every Christmas Eve at 2 churches here in town. If you were to meet each of us you would probably be surprised! We are all so different from each other... It kept everything balanced though, haha! With our four personalities all the bases were covered when planning and preparing. Between the four of us we had a softball player, ballet dancer, and a cheerleader. Our families each went to 4 seperate churches, covering 3 denominations. The friends we even chose to hang out with were from 4 completely diverse groups. And boyfriends, well we won't even go there!
We were asked to sing many places throughout our years together in school. And to be honest, we were hated in choir for it. It was like one of those love-hate relationships where everyone wants to be your friend, and if they don't feel like they are, they will just dog you all the time. Appearently they thought we were the teacher's pet; always got our way, never got in trouble, and sang at every event. They didn't realize that we put the group together ourselves, we rehearsed on our OWN time, and around our schedules (softball, cheer practice, ballet, work, school). It didn't just fall together one day - we worked towards it. The teacher never pulled us in her office teaching us parts, or telling us we need to get it together. We wanted this group to work, we enjoyed it, we put forth the effort... then after a while opportunities came up without us even searching for them.
I remember one day while sitting in the choir room on the risers our Director walked in and saw a Coke can sitting on her piano... a major NO NO. She waltzed in, gave her spill and asked for it to be removed. A girl standing within a few feet of me said, "i bet if one of the quartet girls did that she wouldn't care, they don't get in trouble for anything... they always get their way." You know she wanted me to hear her, you just know - one of those let's pretend to whipser, yet talk loud enough that she hears and gets offended. WOOOWEE! I don't usually stand up for myself, or talk back to people, but i had had enough. It was our senior year, we had been taking crap from others (particularly girls) for YEARS. We got in trouble just like everyone else, believe me i got the evil eye for chattin with MC. But we never gave less than our best when it came to rehearsing. Whether it be towards the concert choir as a whole, practicing for something the quartet was doing, rehearsing for dance shows, or whatever... We had shown her (the director) that she could count on us. I don't even remember what i said to the girl, but I WENT OFF. (probably not the Christian thing to do...) I remember the faces of those around me - bug eyed, mouths wide open, completely shocked at what i had done. I do remember stating that if she really had a problem with us singing everywhere, then why doesn't she quit griping about it and start her own quartet. No one is stopping her.
This old story reminds me of a conversation we had in the college Sunday School class one day. So many people have all these great ideas, or things they see that need to be done. What do they do? They go tell someone, "Hey we need to do this, this would be a great idea, so in so is getting left out, this is being neglected.... etc." This woman stated that if you feel that way, if Christ has laid it on your heart, why don't you stop sitting around waiting for someone else to do it... why don't you step it up and be used?
No one was stopping choir chick from beginning her own group... auditioning for solos.... whatever else... but did she ever do anything about it? Nope. She just tried to ruin our party - and that my friends, aint happenin!
calming down, and now moving on.... :)
I'm sure we never imagined the Quartet to turn into such a big deal back in 8th grade, but i'm grateful that it did. Looking back my most cherished moments were with these girls. Although vastly different from each other, we couldn't help but love each other. No matter what was going on at home, or with boyfriends we were always there for one another. We would pray before entering the stage for our performances... i don't believe we ever sang without lifting it up to the Lord first. Each voice was uniquely different, but we were always known for our amazing unison. We never practiced it or anything... from the very first time we ever sang together our unison sounded like one single voice. I don't think we will ever understand all that that held. oh, i miss singing with them.
It doesn't seem like it's been 8 years since we all became friends back in Junior High... but it has. Time has flown by.
We are now each at 4 completely different places in our lives. Last summer, K got married and is now living in Houston with her husband. M is also married and is expecting a baby boy, Matthew, October 1st. MC is pursuing a degree at UT Austin, and wants to become a Childlife Specialist. Then there is me - Graduation in May - let's just not think about all of that, okay?
We had a baby shower for M this morning at K's house. The other three of us got together with our mom's and planned the whole she-bang! We stayed afterwards to chat and catch up on our different lives. We didn't realize that it had been a year since we'd all been together in one place. And it will be 2 years this Christmas since we've sang together as a group. There was some sort of a request for song today by a lady at the shower, but we all kind of giggled and turned that one down... haha!
She looked beautiful! I'm not sure she is going to make it to October though - she looks like she is about to POP! There was talk about placing bets on the due date - everything gathered will go toward Matthew's college fun! haha! We took plenty of pictures and spent most of our time touching her belly. An updated picture is coming soon!
MC and I had our little pitty party this morning before the Shower got started. Poor us - so single, and boring! haha. It kind of hit both of us at the same time, we just turned and looked at each other with our lips puckered out. Everyone kept asking who was next (for marriage and babies)... laughs resounded the room. Usually we point fingers, but both of us knew, NAH! hehe! The answer to this question is up in the air. It will be interesting to see. Kind of stresses me out!
M, i'm so excited for you! You are growing up and maturing so much. Your outer beauty has always been appearent, and is even more so with the life that is growing inside of you... it's your inner beauty that shows who you truly are, and i love you and all that you are becoming! I can't wait for this new addition in your family and i know you're about ready for the time to be here also. I love you with all my heart and am blessed to have you in my life. I will never forget the years we spent together and the many songs that we poured our hearts over. Best of wishes to you, W, and your baby boy! *Hugs n kisses*
I hope you know that i'm not saying all of this to boast. I'm simply thinking back on the good times from high school. So many of those years i regret and wish i could do differently, but this is one thing i wouldn't go back and change. The Quartet was the only constant thing in my life back then. I could always rely on them to be there, to sing, to come together...
Now that i'm all sappy and teary eyed, i'm going to go spend time with the Lord! It's hard at times to see everyone around you moving on with life and you feel like you're stuck and still aint got a clue. You know what? Even though i don't know what i want yet.... My God knows what i NEED... and that will far surpass anything i could ever imagine and not just cover my needs, but even my WANTS! I wish i could tell you i'm calm and at peace on the inside, but NURP... i have to keep reminding myself of things about the Lord. I will make it through! If you could watch my dreams (those that happen while you are asleep - not goal dreams...) you would be able to see that i am stressing too much. APPEARENTLY i am not dealing with things or processing them the right way.... my dreams have been filled with just about every activity i've been apart of, every voice teacher i've had, every major i've switched from, many different friends, all the choices i have to make... you get the point. AHH i need to go place it at the Lord's feet, but i don't even know where to start. Wish it was as easy as it sounded... Pouting number 2 over with, and i'm off to share an Evening with my Love, Jesus Christ!
Father, i come to you now lifting up my friends... you do know exactly where we are Lord - physically, mentally, emotionally... I pray that no matter where we are in our lives we are there with You. Be with M and everything leading up to her delivery. Keep her safe, and may this bring their family even closer together and to You. Guard our lives... Guide us! Thank you for each of them, thank you for the many years we were together. Thank you for the tears shed with these girls, the laughter, the hugs, even the fights. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love You!
We were asked to sing many places throughout our years together in school. And to be honest, we were hated in choir for it. It was like one of those love-hate relationships where everyone wants to be your friend, and if they don't feel like they are, they will just dog you all the time. Appearently they thought we were the teacher's pet; always got our way, never got in trouble, and sang at every event. They didn't realize that we put the group together ourselves, we rehearsed on our OWN time, and around our schedules (softball, cheer practice, ballet, work, school). It didn't just fall together one day - we worked towards it. The teacher never pulled us in her office teaching us parts, or telling us we need to get it together. We wanted this group to work, we enjoyed it, we put forth the effort... then after a while opportunities came up without us even searching for them.
I remember one day while sitting in the choir room on the risers our Director walked in and saw a Coke can sitting on her piano... a major NO NO. She waltzed in, gave her spill and asked for it to be removed. A girl standing within a few feet of me said, "i bet if one of the quartet girls did that she wouldn't care, they don't get in trouble for anything... they always get their way." You know she wanted me to hear her, you just know - one of those let's pretend to whipser, yet talk loud enough that she hears and gets offended. WOOOWEE! I don't usually stand up for myself, or talk back to people, but i had had enough. It was our senior year, we had been taking crap from others (particularly girls) for YEARS. We got in trouble just like everyone else, believe me i got the evil eye for chattin with MC. But we never gave less than our best when it came to rehearsing. Whether it be towards the concert choir as a whole, practicing for something the quartet was doing, rehearsing for dance shows, or whatever... We had shown her (the director) that she could count on us. I don't even remember what i said to the girl, but I WENT OFF. (probably not the Christian thing to do...) I remember the faces of those around me - bug eyed, mouths wide open, completely shocked at what i had done. I do remember stating that if she really had a problem with us singing everywhere, then why doesn't she quit griping about it and start her own quartet. No one is stopping her.
This old story reminds me of a conversation we had in the college Sunday School class one day. So many people have all these great ideas, or things they see that need to be done. What do they do? They go tell someone, "Hey we need to do this, this would be a great idea, so in so is getting left out, this is being neglected.... etc." This woman stated that if you feel that way, if Christ has laid it on your heart, why don't you stop sitting around waiting for someone else to do it... why don't you step it up and be used?
No one was stopping choir chick from beginning her own group... auditioning for solos.... whatever else... but did she ever do anything about it? Nope. She just tried to ruin our party - and that my friends, aint happenin!
calming down, and now moving on.... :)
I'm sure we never imagined the Quartet to turn into such a big deal back in 8th grade, but i'm grateful that it did. Looking back my most cherished moments were with these girls. Although vastly different from each other, we couldn't help but love each other. No matter what was going on at home, or with boyfriends we were always there for one another. We would pray before entering the stage for our performances... i don't believe we ever sang without lifting it up to the Lord first. Each voice was uniquely different, but we were always known for our amazing unison. We never practiced it or anything... from the very first time we ever sang together our unison sounded like one single voice. I don't think we will ever understand all that that held. oh, i miss singing with them.
It doesn't seem like it's been 8 years since we all became friends back in Junior High... but it has. Time has flown by.
We are now each at 4 completely different places in our lives. Last summer, K got married and is now living in Houston with her husband. M is also married and is expecting a baby boy, Matthew, October 1st. MC is pursuing a degree at UT Austin, and wants to become a Childlife Specialist. Then there is me - Graduation in May - let's just not think about all of that, okay?
We had a baby shower for M this morning at K's house. The other three of us got together with our mom's and planned the whole she-bang! We stayed afterwards to chat and catch up on our different lives. We didn't realize that it had been a year since we'd all been together in one place. And it will be 2 years this Christmas since we've sang together as a group. There was some sort of a request for song today by a lady at the shower, but we all kind of giggled and turned that one down... haha!
She looked beautiful! I'm not sure she is going to make it to October though - she looks like she is about to POP! There was talk about placing bets on the due date - everything gathered will go toward Matthew's college fun! haha! We took plenty of pictures and spent most of our time touching her belly. An updated picture is coming soon!
MC and I had our little pitty party this morning before the Shower got started. Poor us - so single, and boring! haha. It kind of hit both of us at the same time, we just turned and looked at each other with our lips puckered out. Everyone kept asking who was next (for marriage and babies)... laughs resounded the room. Usually we point fingers, but both of us knew, NAH! hehe! The answer to this question is up in the air. It will be interesting to see. Kind of stresses me out!
M, i'm so excited for you! You are growing up and maturing so much. Your outer beauty has always been appearent, and is even more so with the life that is growing inside of you... it's your inner beauty that shows who you truly are, and i love you and all that you are becoming! I can't wait for this new addition in your family and i know you're about ready for the time to be here also. I love you with all my heart and am blessed to have you in my life. I will never forget the years we spent together and the many songs that we poured our hearts over. Best of wishes to you, W, and your baby boy! *Hugs n kisses*
I hope you know that i'm not saying all of this to boast. I'm simply thinking back on the good times from high school. So many of those years i regret and wish i could do differently, but this is one thing i wouldn't go back and change. The Quartet was the only constant thing in my life back then. I could always rely on them to be there, to sing, to come together...
Now that i'm all sappy and teary eyed, i'm going to go spend time with the Lord! It's hard at times to see everyone around you moving on with life and you feel like you're stuck and still aint got a clue. You know what? Even though i don't know what i want yet.... My God knows what i NEED... and that will far surpass anything i could ever imagine and not just cover my needs, but even my WANTS! I wish i could tell you i'm calm and at peace on the inside, but NURP... i have to keep reminding myself of things about the Lord. I will make it through! If you could watch my dreams (those that happen while you are asleep - not goal dreams...) you would be able to see that i am stressing too much. APPEARENTLY i am not dealing with things or processing them the right way.... my dreams have been filled with just about every activity i've been apart of, every voice teacher i've had, every major i've switched from, many different friends, all the choices i have to make... you get the point. AHH i need to go place it at the Lord's feet, but i don't even know where to start. Wish it was as easy as it sounded... Pouting number 2 over with, and i'm off to share an Evening with my Love, Jesus Christ!
Father, i come to you now lifting up my friends... you do know exactly where we are Lord - physically, mentally, emotionally... I pray that no matter where we are in our lives we are there with You. Be with M and everything leading up to her delivery. Keep her safe, and may this bring their family even closer together and to You. Guard our lives... Guide us! Thank you for each of them, thank you for the many years we were together. Thank you for the tears shed with these girls, the laughter, the hugs, even the fights. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love You!
2 comments:
I couldn't agree with post more! I miss our bond, our voices uniting, just being with ya'll. I will always love all of you girls!
No more reading this while im in class! its embarassing to start tearing up when your supposed to be taking notes...Megan you said it perfectly and I pray and hope and trust that no matter where we are all that we can stay in touch to some degree...too much of a blessing to let go :)
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