A Decade

This is my 18-year old daughter's "Music Memories" shelf. It houses everything from her very first violin lesson books at age 8, to her most recent Playbill from the musical "Grease."

The other two items, the huge wine jug (of unknown origin), filled with spare change, and the old cell phone, put a smile on my face. When I asked about the coins, she told me that she would most likely buy a Keurig for her dorm room. That is a far cry from the red Hot Pot that graced my first college abode at 26 The Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts.

The cell phone is another story. That relic is missing more parts than you can imagine, and was a big joke amongst her friends. She had some bad luck with phones, and I was a mean momma and made her wait to get a phone until her plan was up for renewal. She is still debating on how to give it a proper burial.

This shelf is her memory shelf, but it's mine too. I will never forget how well she played at her violin recitals, and the crazy stories she told about the Gilbert & Sullivan Operetta Company that she was the youngest member of back when she was all of 15.

Seeing the Playbill for Beauty and the Beast, showing through the warped glass, reminded me of the flood of tears that flowed down my face the entire show. Everyone was shocked at how she transformed herself into Belle. She sounded just like the movie. This started her run of leads throughout her high school days.

But, change is in the wind, and she will be graduating from high school in less than eight weeks. Will she end up on Broadway, or possibly on Saturday Night Live? Maybe she will change her mind about the entertainment business and do some other wonderful thing.

A decade of memories to hold close to our hearts.

What will the next 10 years bring??