Today is my 6 month anniversary of being out of the hospital.

It was also the first day I went completely without a cane to help me walk since getting out of the hospital.

This weekend I got to go to NYC. Along with Emily Sutton-Smith, I was there representing Williamston Theatre. We, with 11 other companies from all over the country, were awarded National Theatre Company Grants by the American Theatre Wing, and the award ceremony was Monday night. It was pretty darned awesome. Humbling, amazing and inspiring. Being there with the other theatre artists, talking and sharing and getting to know each other, was a wonderful experience – one that I think will lead to friendships and opportunities for years to come.

While we were there, it was amazing to think of how we got there. The way my year has gone, if you’d told me 6 months ago that I would be walking around New York, I’m not sure I would’ve believed you. To go from hospital bed to onstage accepting that award is still a little hard to believe. But it’s more than that: it’s a journey of 10 years. I recently celebrated another milestone: 10 years ago last month I said goodbye to my full-time job at one theatre and started work with 3 good friends to create our own theatre. One that we hoped would become our home. And here we are. This week is Opening Night of Season 9, and American Theatre Wing honored us as one of the most promising companies in the country. That’s a pretty neat thing. I think, though, the best part was that Em and I weren’t there alone. Over the years we’ve worked with some established NYC professionals, as well as many students who went on to NYC to continue their careers. Several of them joined us on Monday to celebrate, as a family, as our theatre took a nice step forward…and THAT was awesome. To know how much our family has grown, to be a part of something that’s become much bigger than the four of us sitting around a coffee shop dreaming dreams.

So, today. Here we are. I have to say, I don’t know 10 years ago, or 6 months ago, that I could’ve predicted what today would be.

I’m awfully grateful for what it is, though.