Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Sunday, October 19, 2008 - Part 2 Celebration of Life and Friendship

Cont'd from Part 1 Celebration of Life and Friendship (Read Part 1 first)


.... ok so now we will continue on with the party itself, after the show.

Again... what can I say! Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought that I would just be a social butterfly and bounce around from people to people... and it never dawned on me that there would be so many people that there wasn't a chance that I'd get to everyone! As a matter of fact, the party was happening both upstairs in the lounge and downstairs in the lobby and it was after 11:30pm before I ever made it up to the lounge. So I'm sure there were more than half the people that I didn't get to actually talk to, and those that I did, I was lucky if I got to talk to them for 5 seconds. Hahaha... I must have done a lot of talking because the next morning my voice was pretty hoarse.

Again... how does one even begin to describe what it was like to literally spend a whole evening from 6pm onwards with approx. 200 of the people who are a huge part of my life? Then, when I got home, there were voice mail messages and emails waiting from approx. 50 or more people who apologized for not being able to attend due to sickness, work, rehearsals, etc. Unbelievable!!

My friend, Susan, from Issaquah, WA got close to explaining the feeling. This was at the end of the show, after I had been called up to say a few words and ended my babble with something to the effect of... "Let's party!"

About the EVENT of the century - Words can only fail. The actual experience was above and beyond anything I could have imagined. Picture 200 people all singing "You've Got a Friend". Tears were flowing (not just from Cheryl) it was just so moving. I've never felt the real power of love until that moment. Cheryl had just finished her speech (quite the orator, by the way). The performers started singing then the whole audience joined in.

You just call out my name,
and you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
all you have to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend...

I'll write more later, but for now, suffice to say. WOW!

Love and many hugs, Susan


Soooo, in no particular order... here are some pictures that my friend, Bonnie took on my camera (the show pictures that are on the Part 1 entry, were taken by my friend and co-worker, Dan).


Amanda and I have been friends for some time now. We met, gee, in the theatre community... imagine that?? :D


Here I am with Alan Black, one of the most sweetest, gentlest, compassionate, generous men I think I've ever met... and to boot he has the best sense of humour!! Love ya, Alan!!


Wow.. here I am with Keith Fowler... and Keith, you are going to have to help me out here. I'm thinking that we met in the early-mid 70s, but I couldn't tell you when. But we were definitely part of the Metro Theatre Brat Pack :D


I have no idea what had just been said or by whom, but we both obviously found it quite funny. I was in the process of "Shave Dave" and we passed the baskets around and collected $510 for colon cancer Research!

I'm really feeling the love Sunday night!! Here I am getting a wonderful bear hug from Jay Brazeau!! I got the warm fuzzies!!

Wow.. three different friends from three different periods in my life! Kevin Bryan and I have been friends since Junior High School; Bernice White and I met just this year during the summer down at TUTS and clicked; and Phil MacDonald and I have been friends throughout our years working for the Provincial Government. It was just so fabulous to have so many different friends from different parts of my life all mixing and mingling and having a wonderful time!

Again, call it faulty memory but some friends and I just go back so far, I don't remember when we actually met. They've just always been in my life! Pat and Audrey are two of these long term friends!!

Pat Patterson and I knew each other back in the Vancouver Musical Theatre days... when we'd do shows like Hair :) Steve Oben is one of my dearest friends who has also been one of my main caregivers since this journey has begun.

Shel, myself and Naveen... can you feel the love?? Oh wait.. that's my turtle necklace... nebbermind :)

My friend, Susan from Issaquah, WA who was also on the afternoon decorating team. We are taking a wee break here before the friends start arriving :)

Here I am with one of my TUTS Box Office buddies! Val Voth and I met last season and had so much fun in the Box Office, she joined us again this year... and I've already told her she has to be with us again for the 2009 season! :)

This picture makes me laugh!! It seems no matter what the occasion, what the party, what the year... the last people to leave are always the same ones!! LOL!! Steve Oben, Pat Patterson, Jo Leary, Kevin Bryan and Erin Sweeney. Ya, I'm there too... but I'm behind the camera


Oh, but it gets worse!! We are finally kicked out of the theatre... tailgate party anyone?? Hahahaha... the last of the diehards - Pat Patterson, Steve Oben, Kevin Bryan and me behind the camera

And this just gives you a taste of what this night was all about. I'm in love with all my friends... but there wasn't enough time to talk to everyone, let alone get pictures with everyone, and then there were the people who sent apologies that they couldn't be there (which was about another 50 people) and of course, for those of you who are reading this blog but either are not in town or weren't at the party... you know that you are included in my circle of absentee friends :)

After typing up both these blog entries and uploading the pictures, I still haven't been able to come up with the proper words to really describe what this event meant to me. It was pure magic, pure love, and the air was so filled with positive energy and love, that I know I will get through the next leg of this journey with a smile on my face!!!

Huggggggs,

Cheryl

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

OH, YEAH!!! You managed to say it all, my dear. What an experience. I'll never ever forget it. MMMMWWWWAAAA, Susan S. Issaquah

Rich said...

And Miss Bridget was not invited :(