Looking Back and Moving Forward

"I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship."
~ Louisa May Alcott
 

It has been said that looking back is not a good thing. The past is the past and can't be changed. I believe it's good to look back occasionally, merely for the purpose of seeing how far we have come. 

In 1988 I was living in South Carolina with my husband Marty and two children. Our daughter Kelly was hitting the rebellious teen years full throttle and I was torn between my nursing career or heading off to Nashville. I lost my focus right when Kelly needed me the most.

During that time, I saw Lois Lee, Director of Children of the Night, on TV.  I was inspired by her  commitment to helping teen runaways in Hollywood. I knew I would meet her some day... 

 Kelly, Lois Lee, Suzanne and Kelly's daughter Alie -
Volunteer Recognition Children of the Night 2007
Van Nuys, CA

When we were going through those tough teen years in South Carolina, we could have easily given up. I had to learn how to communicate better with a teenager who would not listen and most conversations ended up with slamming doors and hurt feelings. I had clearly lost touch.

As we started singing together our communication improved and I began to see the healing power of music. Discussing the lyrics I was writing and asking for Kelly's input in the songs created a safe zone for us to communicate.

When we  moved to California in 1990, I made a call to Lois Lee asking if we could come to Children of the Night and sing for the kids. The positive response to that first visit turned into an organization that has now worked with thousands of teens and families.

Back on Hilton Head, so many years ago, I could not have imagined how far we would travel using music to improve communication and now Kelly has a daughter of her own who has joined us in helping others....But life is full of surprises and messages on the path to your passion and purpose. So the next time you feel down and perhaps a little frustrated with what is going on in your life, look back to a harder time and see how far you've come.

 Alie, Kelly and Suzanne ~ California 2013

If you are wondering how Kelly and I made it through those teen years and started singing together, you can read our story and share the journey we have taken with the kids, the band and the lessons learned along the way.
 
The book "Some Day It Will Matter" and our music can be found at www.specialangel.com

All proceeds go to SpecialAngel Inc.  This enables us to bring our program free of charge to agencies helping teens and families.