Looking Back and Looking Ahead

During the first weekend in October I returned to Dover for High School Homecoming festivities, and I realized that no matter how many years pass, I can still go to a place where time seems to have stood still … Some things never change.

During that same weekend I glimpsed the future through a dear friend, a brand new mother … Other things I can’t wait to experience.

Let’s start with the Friday night football game under the lights of DHS. There are still popular kids who sit in the student section with painted chests and pompoms and eccentric kids wearing checkered Converse sneakers with magenta colored hair who line the top of the bleachers. Teachers roam the stadium, and parents yell at their kids on the field. I suppose not everything is the same — the marching band now sits on the opposite side of the stands, and the cheerleaders’ uniforms are a bit more revealing. But the same coach shouts the same plays from the sideline, and there are still some players whose jerseys never see a stain.

The Eagles lost pretty badly, but there was still something cozy about sitting on a wool blanket beside my parents that night. Something comforting about seeing familiar expressions from teachers who taught me ten years ago.

After the game, we went back to Andover Drive for a bonfire, complete with hot dogs and s’mores and Oktoberfest beverages. The sky was clear, the air was crisp, and the fire crackled as we huddled around it. I went to bed that night feeling content and smelling of burnt wood

Saturday morning I accompanied Mom and Laura to the hair salon and the florist. I remember so well the excitement of getting dolled up for the big dance. Shopping for the perfect dress. The time spent practicing walking in heels and flipping through magazines to find a hip hairstyle, a new color of eye shadow. The butterflies when your date arrives and brushes your hand as he slides on your corsage. Taking off those heels and dancing with your girlfriends while trying to capture the memories with your camera.

And I’m experiencing it again through the eyes of my little sister.

Nick and I headed to Lake Meade on Sunday afternoon to visit Quinn and Dave and their beautiful baby girl, Kennedy, who entered the world just eight days earlier.

Nick and I are slightly envious of Quinn and Dave. They’re married and have a gorgeous house with a deck and a yard and a dog. Dave has a garage full of toys and tools, and Quinn coordinates candles with bath towels. Throughout their home they have framed photographs of their wedding day, and their wine rack is always stocked. We look forward to a similar lifestyle someday!

As for Kennedy, I could have held her all day. She’s a sweet baby, and we were fortunate enough to see her big open eyes, if even for just a few minutes. Despite trying to adjust to the schedule of a newborn, both Quinn and Dave looked fantastic!

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