Looking Forward by Looking Back
A visit to my hometown complete with an adorable downtown!
While we were in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving, we had dinner with my friend Beth, the person I’ve been friends with longer than anyone else. It’s always tough to see if these things will work out when you’re both visiting family for a holiday and trying to juggle family events, but we made it happen.
Beth and I met in sixth grade. She turned 50 a month ago; I turn 50 in few months.
We reminisced about using her Swatch phone so one of us could listen while the other was talking to someone (almost always a boy, I’m sure). We talked about her mom who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about fifteen years ago and caught each other up on the latest news with our respective siblings. Mostly, though, we talked about our current lives; our children, what we’re working on now, and our mutual dislike for school parent organizations (but we participate anyway).
It thrilled my heart to hear our daughters chatting as if they’ve known each other forever.
At the risk of sounding like a Hallmark movie, when I visit my hometown, I am reminded of who I am on the most fundamental level. I see the arc of my life in a way I can only experience when I’m there. So many places trigger memories of different events and stages of my life. When I think of the hard times I’ve experienced I never think of when I lost the pep club art director election in eighth grade but I was reminded of it when I was in Oklahoma. Driving by my old middle school, I clearly recalled my dad’s words of comfort and advice for me that day. Â
That’s the beauty of a visit home for me. It’s an opportunity to reflect on how far I’ve come since I left and how much I’ve stretched, changed, and grown but also how my experiences there provided the foundation for who I am today. I will forever be Rachel Dawn Cartmill who was born in Edmond, Oklahoma.
In the midst of the fast-paced chaos that makes up day-to-day life, I am increasingly grateful for opportunities to reset my perspective and there’s something so special about doing that by being reminded of the details of my journey. I hope you are also able to find strength and inspiration when you look back at your story and see how far you’ve come!
Beth also has an excellent Substack newsletter which you can find here.
I very much enjoy your writings, your voice comes through easily and your personality is clear and unmistakable as being anyone else but the person who I am encountering when I read your words.
Loved these pics Rachel and so glad to hear you're able to "re-charge" from your visit home.