Yesterday was such a fun day for me! I got to return to my alma mater, Ouachita Baptist University, to sing with a very special group of ladies, The Ouachi-Tones. If you went to OBU, then you probably know what I'm talking about. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I was in an all-girls singing group named the Ouachi-Tones. We sang all over the state, nation and even Europe while I was a member! We had an annual concert in January, so we had to return to campus early every year to practice for our show. We sang, danced, even did some commercial parodies. (Remember the Bartles & Jaymes guys? How about GE Bringing Good Things To Life….the Energizer bunny...oh, you had to be there!) We toured all over Arkansas, from Monticello to Bentonville and towns in between….so there were some long van rides. On one particular trip home, we made up a rap (yes, a rap!) that we ended up performing at our concert. Would you believe I still know it after all these years? Some of our more memorable trips were to New York City, where we sang at the United Nations building, St. Louis, and Oklahoma (where Denise's grandfather entertained us by hypnotizing my roommate - she truly believed she had just won Miss America!). We sang in a beautiful cathedral in Austria, in the balcony with no heat, and a Baptist church in Germany. We spent New Year's Eve in Salzburg, Austria! Those were some of the special places we got to visit. But more special than those places were the people. The bond I formed with my O-Tones sisters was so strong. As you can imagine, we spent a lot of time together, so you better learn to love one another. It wasn't difficult. Those girls were so easy to love and will always be very special to me. There were some that didn't get to come yesterday, but those that were there, it was as if no time had gone by (even though it has been over 20 years!). We sang a song we had all sung as O-Tones, and seeing our beloved director, Mrs. Mary Shambarger, was priceless. She still insisted we wear our ruby red lipstick and sparkle! I got to see and visit with Denise and Shelley, my two famous friends (Point of Grace!) who have not changed at all. They are still so beautiful and beautifully talented. Shelley is just as funny as ever, and Denise still has the sweetest spirit. It was so good to visit with them and hear them perform, and it was so good to visit with my other O-Tones sisters and perform with them. It was just a great afternoon and evening.
Now where am I going with this? Well, I just want to use it as a reminder that sometimes we are able to see people we love again….but sometimes we are not. Point of Grace is partnering with the American Bible Society to provide Bibles for soldiers on the front lines overseas. They showed a video of kids being surprised by their dads who had returned from duty. The whole time I watched those precious faces reacting to seeing their dads, I was thinking of Nate and Allie. Especially Allie, because she was sitting on the other side of my dad. My heart broke thinking she would never get to experience that in her lifetime. She will never be surprised by her dad walking through the door unexpectedly. We talked about it afterwards, and she said she almost cried. She said she was imagining what it would be like to see her dad surprise her like that. So, while it was so good to see old friends and enjoy a show, it did bring up some heartache. We will never see Brad again on this earth. However, I know with 100% certainty that we will see him again one day. Take our situation and learn from it: hug your kids, love your kids, spend time with your kids. Tell your husband or your wife how much they mean to you. Write a letter to leave your family in case the unthinkable happens. No one wants to talk about it, but it is going to happen at some point. None of us will live forever on this earth! I cannot tell you how much I long to read something from Brad. I found a few birthday/Mother's Day/anniversary cards he gave me over the years, and I read them often. Cherish each moment with those you love as if it would be the last. I don't know if I'll get to see my O-Tones sisters in this life again, so I am so grateful for yesterday's opportunity! We aren't guaranteed tomorrow, so be sure to live for today.
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