A Candlestick: Broadway

When our daughter was expecting her twins- she had the same condition that Kathryn Middleton has...hyperemesis gravidarum. Let's see, K.M. is now the Duchess of Cambridge and destined to be the future Queen and busily being pregnant, creating an heir to the throne, being sick and hospitalized and on and on.

Jeanee was home, a nurse came in, on total bed rest (although you don't rest much while upchucking every minute!). She was on IV's and it was a long scary event for her Mother. I'm in WA and she was in NY.

At about 6 months along, her husband had to go to Italy as a part of his job or somewhere on a cruise ship (poor fellow). She was weak as could be but the heaving had slowed but she still needed to be down and cared for as she started eating again and building strength and stamina.

So....Terry and I flew to Peoria, IL. Terry was going to help Greg on his house building project. The NY Dr. gave Jeanee permission to fly to Peoria, as long as she was met with a wheelchair and then had rest as she started to recover. She got to see her Dad which was important to her. And also to him!

We stayed there for some time at Greg's and then she and I flew to NY and I would stay until her hubby came home and maybe longer if needed.

I had been to NY a few months earlier taking care of her. Long before she was pregnant, her husband, had stood in a long line to get her opening tickets to the new Showboat and gave it to her for a Valentines day surprise gift. Unfortunately for her she was bed-bound so her MIL and I got to go to the new production of an old play! My first time in downtown NY. Amazing! I loved every moment except for the fact I wasn't sharing it with her!

4 months later, realizing I was coming back out, she did some planning and bought tickets, with the best seats!, for us to go see Les Miserables! She stayed down for 3 days straight in order to have strength to go. We had food for her to munch, water to drink and we were so prepared for this event! I can't believe she drove us into the city, found a parking place right next to theater, and we were in for party time!!!

We were giddy and just had a time that could never be matched for wonderfulness, no matter how hard you might try. It is still one of our favorite Mother/Daughter memories. Just looking at these pictures makes me sentimentally teary. It was such a happy time! She was not as sick as she'd been and she and I love to be together so it was just perfect on all counts.

Sometimes events or occasions are so breathtakingly wonderful, just sort of miraculous in the perfection of the happenings and you'd love to re-create it but you can't. Some events in life are just a once in a lifetime experience and that's it. You just have that powerful memory and relive it in your mind and talk to the one you shared it with every once in awhile and savor it again.

That happened once with my sister and I on a sister trip. We went to Antony's Home Port for dinner and it was the most beautiful weather. We were seated with a view of the water and we were looking at how gorgeous things were. There was one bird statue that looked so life like and we both commented on how perfect it was and the bird suddenly came to life & flew away! Dinner was the best dinner I've ever eaten in a restaurant. So perfect- we decided to repeat it the next night. We sat in the same window seat, ordered the same menu item from the night before and anxiously awaited our feast.

The food arrived but it was not the same. Same ingredients but totally not the same. My sister asked our waiter why things weren't cooked exactly as the night before!? It was a different chef!

That's how my Les Mis experience was...perfection on all counts so I've decided that I have no desire to see the movie!! I don't want comparisons. I don't want close up shots and a director deciding what I need to focus on. I loved the full stage, with live people, and watching with fascination of how they staged some scenes. I love the music, no matter who is singing but nothing can compare, in my mind, with the stars I saw because it was a dream come true to be in NY with my daughter and go to a Broadway play, the top one!, and our celebratory attitude and joy of being together just can't be topped.

I had looked forward to the movie for ages and even had specific plans to go but it just hit me so hard that I didn't want to go- so I canceled.