The first half of my Saturday, I was busy and arrived home by 2:30 PM to feed the dogs and take a 45-minute nap. At 4:28 PM, I was stepping onto No. 17, heading to Schuster Center.

I was especially excited about my evening at Schuster because I knew I was going to see a former student whom I had not seen in many years. I met the Merl family in 1992. I could write many blog posts on my experiences with this wonderful family. Dan and Geoff Merl were not much younger than me and over a joke, I was referred to as “big brother.”

I had the Merl children in piano and voice lessons, theatre lessons, and drum major lessons. When the youngest child, Amy, finished studying with me during her college years, I had been teaching the Merl family for 22 years! 

Megan Merl (now Lynn) began piano lessons with me when she was seven or eight years old. There was an immediate bond because we shared the same birthdate, September 25, twenty years apart. However, there was always so much more of a bond that I felt with Megan that went beyond our mutual natal celebration. If I could’ve ever had a daughter, I would’ve wanted one exactly like Megan.

Tonight, Megan, her parents, Stu and Pam, Megan’s husband and two sons came to see a production of HADESTOWN. Although our preshow reunion was brief, I felt so many tugs on my heart.

I was fortunate to observe Pam and Stu as younger parents and they were terrific role models for my parenting years. Before adopting my first son, I sent out a questionnaire to about twenty different parents whose parenting skills I admired. I was always drawn to Pam’s responses because they were simple, practical, and often doused with humor. One question was, “How do you know what to cook for dinner every night?” Pam’s response? “Whatever I feel like eating.” I followed her advice, rarely asking the sons what they wanted, unless it was their night to cook.

So, this has been a wonderful week of reunions, culminating with getting to see my bonus little sister, Megan, on Saturday night. 

Make it a great St. Patrick’s Day!