A familiar face, stays in my memory.

Through the crowd you notice their face instantly. It's almost as if they are the only other person in the room. Your full focus becomes connected to them, then comes the sickening feeling, rising up from your stomach. Your throat tightens, feels like you're choking, and you have no other choice but to tear your gaze away from them before it drives you insane.

Have you ever had a moment like that? Where you run into someone that was painful for you to see. All of the memories flood back into your head, making you feel weak. I had a moment like that yesterday while I was in Showlow for a choir trip.

It was the last place I would have thought I’d see this person, but as I walked through the doors into the Showlow auditorium, there she was.

It was like running in a brick wall. I had to quickly turn the opposite direction and just walk away as my mind threatened to explode.

            Why the heck was she there? Did she see me? Should I go back and talk to her? Should I ignore her completely? Should I just run away?
            Maybe it is ridiculous, but I felt sick to my stomach. I knew I couldn’t hide for forever, so after a while I decided to go into the auditorium and sit by Tucker. I spotted him and as I made my way across the room, I realized that she was sitting two rows in front of him. So, avoiding her didn’t really work. As I took my spot next to Tucker, she turned around, realizing who I was.
            “Hey” she said with a smile, and turned back around to face the stage. I guess that was it. She didn’t look at me again. I guess, it went exactly how I expected it to go… For the rest of the day I struggled to keep the thoughts of her out of my head. Seeing her and having her not even give me a second glace is just another reminder to me that I shouldn’t let it tear up my heart anymore, sometimes it’s just hard you know?
            Yesterday, the crack in my heart ached a bit, fresh with the pain that I try to put behind me. But today, I will do my best to shrug it off my shoulders and accept the situation for what it has turned out to be. She seemed happy, so I should do my best to make myself happy too.
            Sometimes, it’s hard not to hurt when you see that familiar face. It’s hard not to travel back in time and remember every moment you spent with that person. It’s hard to accept those moments as part of the past and not the present…
            Next time you have a moment like this, where you run into someone it’s painful to see, just let yourself remember. Embrace the memory behind that familiar face, but let yourself rise above the pain. As cheesy as it sounds, remember it’s a new day, and things can be okay.
Love, Bridgette...