Fast Family

I was at an event last night with some great company: my sister and about half the cast of the Chicago LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER show.

Sitting around that table, we laughed and joked and teased each other like we’d known each other forever.

We hadn’t. In fact, “forever” couldn’t be further from the truth. Well, except in the case of my sister and me, because, you know.

I had realized something interesting a couple of days ahead of our meet-up: the members of our cast who were able to come to the meet-up were all, with one exception (plus my sister, of course), people who Tracey and I had met BECAUSE of LTYM.

Yet we laughed and joked and teased each other like we’d known each other forever.

I affectionately call Judy “Cooter”, for reasons you’ll see when the LTYM videos are shared on YouTube later this summer.

I exclaimed to Audrey, “Hey! You’re wearing pants!” because she has made it abundantly clear to all of us that she does. not. wear. dresses.

I talked to Katy about how the shoes that her daughter was wearing in a photo she shared on Facebook were SO KATY, because I know this.

I admired Alisha’s beautiful new magazine, her labor of love. I know how much work she has put into it.

I ribbed Nancy when she seemed to be getting the royal treatment at the venue, and after she proclaimed, “Apparently my reputation precedes me!” I giggled like a schoolgirl because she’s so funny.

I did the math, and including auditions, the two rehearsals, and show day itself I have spent less than eight hours with each of these people, ever.

How is it that I feel so tightly connected with them?

I guess that’s what happens when you get intimate (not that way, gosh.) with people. It can happen because of a particularly traumatic shared experience or a particularly joyful one too. As a show cast, we got a peek into some of the most private feelings of each other: in fact, in a few cases some of their stories were seeing the light of day outside of their brains and hearts for the very first time ever, at auditions. We were all in it together, and our collective arms wrapped tightly around each other throughout the journey. In fact, in the story that Megan told at last night’s event, she talked about “life blips” that can change the trajectory of, well, everything.

Every time I make contact with a LTYM Chicago cast member I am reminded of this, that it was indeed a life blip. We are all changed for the better because of this show, my fast family members and me.

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