Soul SiStories
Soul SiStories was born out of a mutual desire to bring forward hope and healing through sharing our lived experiences. Hope is embracing life despite adversity. Hope is our reason.
Soul SiStories
Hope Through Dance: A Mother-Daughter Journey
Join us as we dive into an inspiring conversation with Laurie and Cameron, a remarkable mother-daughter duo who embody resilience and hope through dance. Their journey is one of not just facing life's challenges head-on, but embracing them with open hearts. Cameron, diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and stage four cirrhosis at a young age, has found solace and strength through her passion for dance. This episode is packed with heartfelt moments as they share how dance serves as a lifeline for Cameron; it provides a sense of community, a source of joy, and a way to navigate the navigating world of health struggles.
Laurie's unwavering support for Cameron demonstrates the power of love and hope as they reflect upon their journey together. They discuss the importance of finding balance in life as well as the vital role of community support during challenging times. With so much negativity surrounding health journeys, their story shines as a beacon of positivity and strength.
They explore poignant themes such as the significance of pursuing passions, the healing power of art, and the importance of living every moment fully. Join us to uncover how they make every day meaningful, transforming adversity into inspiration. It’s a heartwarming reminder that through every twist and turn, love, support, and passion for life can guide the way. Don't miss this touching episode—subscribe, share, and be inspired!
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Welcome to Soul, SiSteries, where we have just spent an amazing hour with Laurie and Cameron, a mother and daughter duo who shared with us their hope through dance, and all I can say is I want to start dancing.
Speaker 1:Absolutely right. Hope through dance, and all I can say is I want to start dancing. Absolutely Right, want to start dancing. And just this particular embrace of life because we know part of this whole story is a health journey, that's a very serious health journey, and yet there are lives being lived fully and with all the highs and lows, the ins and out, and, as Cameron so gorgeously talked about, the laughter and the tears both being replete throughout them, and just wonderful, a wonderful part of the story alike. And living your life through all of that, I mean, I'm just so inspired, I'm incredibly inspired.
Speaker 2:Join us as we talk with Laurie and Cameron.
Speaker 1:We are just thrilled right now to be talking with Laurie Rickman and her daughter Cameron. You know, in your community, wherever you live, wherever you are, there are people going through everything you can imagine, right, and you're just looking at your neighbors and your friends who are leading their lives and mainly you have no idea all that they're experiencing behind the scenes and behind the surface. So I know the wonderful Laurie Rickman because she does my hair and I am so grateful for it because, one, she's magical and two, she's just a lovely, lovely person. And you know, when you talk with your hairdresser you have long and wonderful chats about everything in life and you get to know each other really well and Lori has become my sweet friend and I'm so grateful about that and part of what I hear about because, you know, we're moms, we talk about our kids, right, and Laurie has two beautiful daughters and her younger daughter is here with us today, her daughter Cameron, whom I know mainly as this glorious, wonderful sprite of a competitive dancer.
Speaker 1:The girl lives and breathes, dancing in all that she does and all that she is truly as part of her very DNA. And at the same time, I know that the wonderful, glorious Cameron, who is one of the most athletic just physically active people we know, also deals with very serious health challenges on the daily. She has polycystic kidney disease and stage four cirrhosis, and so there is the constant awareness of what's going on in the body as she goes through her day, and her wonderful mama, who is fully in support of her girl, goes through her day. So that's where we start with the beautiful Laurie and Cameron and their hope through, which is dance. Hope through dance is gorgeous.
Speaker 2:So I don't know you except for Laurie. You did my hair once while I was yes, I did get to meet you once, and then I moved away, so I've not had my hair again and I wish I did get to meet you once, yeah, and then I moved away, so I've not had my hair again and I wish you were on my coast. But I would love for you to share a little bit with me and anybody listening kind of what got you here? What was your journey? If you can talk a little bit about the diagnosis and you know, Cameron, were you already dancing before the diagnosis? Did that come after? Can you share a little bit with us about your story?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so Cameron. When she was about 10 years old and she's 16 now she was.
Speaker 3:We were in fifth grade class and she came home from school and she had a large bump and bruise on her arm and I said oh my gosh, what happened. And she said I large bump and bruise on her arm. And I said oh my gosh, what happened. And she said I barely hit my arm on my desk. And I thought well, I don't think that's normal. And my mom was over and she thought oh yeah, maybe we should talk to her doctor.
Speaker 3:So we went to the doctor and they did some labs and Cameron, the only thing that was flagged was she had low platelets. So they sent us to hematology and it was a little bit of a wait. It didn't seem urgent, like a three month wait to see this hematologist over at the children's hospital in Orange County. So they started looking into different blood disorders and then we were in hematology for about a year.
Speaker 3:Cameron went through lots of rare blood testing, genetic testing, and they just couldn't find anything as far as a blood disorder. But her ALT and AST, which is your liver enzymes, kept being elevated. So they had referred us over to a hepatologist, which is a liver specialist, and so she said she didn't see an issue, but she just thought it was a fluke because we were watching her so closely. So we went back to hematology and then they decided there could be maybe some leukemia going on and that it hasn't fully presented itself. So Cameron did a bone marrow to check her and it was clear. So then I mean, our biggest advocate, I think, was this hematologist, so she actually ordered a full CT scan and then it was her liver that was flagged. So after gosh, this is like three years later of testing.
Speaker 3:So three years later, the hepatologist and I mean we were going through a pandemic, so it was harder to get into the doctor's office they did a liver biopsy. So Cameron's been under anesthesia quite a few times. And then so the liver biopsy she it came back and that was at that was in July of 2022. That she was diagnosed with. So she had stage four fibrosis at that point. And then I asked the doctor, like what's the treatment for this? And it's a liver transplant. They still hadn't connected that. So her she also during this process and it's a lot. So I'm sorry if it's hard to follow there's, you're doing.
Speaker 1:You're doing great. So thank you for all.
Speaker 3:So her father has PKD, which is polycystic kidney disease, and it's the number one most hereditary disease. We knew he had that, but the nephrologists they just don't connect PKD with cirrhosis of the liver. I mean there's a. If both parents carry the gene, it's possible. So that's why we're starting genetic testing now, but it's just they don't see it. So so that's kind of where we're at now.
Speaker 3:She did the nephrologist, because of the PKD, didn't connect it. So so then we did, oh, so her. So at that point the liver specialists we were seeing they, I think because she had missed so much the first three years, they sent us to a new team. Cameron gets seen by Dr Silva, who's been amazing over at the children's hospital, and then, because of the transplant, we now have Cameron at the children's hospital in LA because Chalk actually does not do transplants. So we have a team that sees her. Now every three months she goes through evaluation. The beautiful news is Cameron's liver functions. There's there's a lot of side effects from the cirrhosis. When you're, when you have cirrhosis, your liver becomes very stiff. When you have cirrhosis, your liver becomes very stiff, so you're not getting the correct blood flow.
Speaker 4:And then your body, so cameron's spleen becomes enlarged because you know her, her spleens protecting her platelets basically what she's saying is that the spleen my spleen is covered by my usually is covered by your ribs, but since mine is enlarged, it's not covered as much, so there's a little bit that is peeking out. So if any in like I, can't do any contact sports because if someone were to bump into me and poke it it could burst.
Speaker 2:Wow, I'm going to interrupt real quick, only because one what you've learned about the body and the medical world is just crazy. But I know when we play this for others, they're listening, they're not watching and I mean, as a mom, I'm going to start crying. But I'm looking at you. You're just smiling Like you're just radiating. That is amazing. So I didn't know this story until Donna shared it with me and I just have to say, as a 50, how old am I? 56 year old woman, how inspiring you are. That the piece of you and clearly you are so much greater than what's going on in your body. So just amazing.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Cameron is an inspiration doll and you know what she's been my biggest inspiration and I know it's hard. She's my baby, so you know I try really hard to, you know, keep it together. But watching Cameron and I don't want her to have to, you know, take care of me. But just seeing her love for life and she takes everything. I mean this kid's been poked and you know these biopsies, these CT scans like I can't even count how many like blood tests, ct scans, ultrasounds that she's had anymore, it's just routine. I mean she has like probably eight different specialists right now, which are all amazing and Cameron, she's just, she really is an inspiration and her, you know she loves life and she's a good human, she's good to everybody, she's a great friend. Yeah, I think anybody that gets to know Cameron is very lucky.
Speaker 1:We can all see that for sure. And, sis, I'm so glad you just said what you said, because same same thought. I'm not the mother of daughters, I'm the mother of sons, but I have many beautiful nieces and you are looking and sounding like any one of my nieces who was just having their best life and doing what you do, and I love that. But, laurie, I want to go back to you for a moment, because this is a journey that you're on as well, and you're on not just in, you know, doing the work of helping your daughter along the path, but this is something that you're experiencing also, and you're experiencing it as somebody who's got to take care of herself and also provide the right framework for your girl. So talk to us a little bit, if you would, lori, about your own, how you are finding those resources within yourself to be a caretaker, a mom. You work, you run a household, you live a life. How is it that you find what you need in the face of all of this?
Speaker 3:what you need in the face of all of this. I think it's just, you know, finding the right balance and trying to stay positive and seeing all the good in this. I mean her liver is functioning, her organs are working, and every day that's a blessing. And watching Cameron, I mean even when I watch her dance, sometimes if I'm feeling you know a certain way, I'll I watch her dance to remind me how strong she is. And you know, yeah, I've, I work full time.
Speaker 3:It's hard, you know, I get a lot of doctor's appointments, doctors calling me throughout the week, every week. You know my clients, including you, like you're all an inspiration to me too, like life and just seeing, like I know you've been through like so much and so you're an inspiration to me. Like there's so many people and I think it's a gift that I get to talk to. You know I talked to probably six to eight different people a day and everybody has something and there's just, you know, like, and you don't want to become jaded like even a small issue, you still you know it's big to somebody else and just there's just so much that people don't know and it's just.
Speaker 3:It's about being kind to everybody, because you don't know what anybody's going through, that you're walking past Because you know, look at Cameron, she doesn't you would never know by looking at her and like, even you, like you don't know what you're going through and just everybody has something and you know there's just people are amazing and I'm so lucky to have the support that I've gained through my clients and you know if I need to reschedule an appointment and everybody you know everybody's great and offers support and they're always checking on Cameron and Savannah and yeah, so I mean we just try to stay positive and I mean we are so lucky there is a cure for this and Cameron can live a normal life.
Speaker 3:Yes, it's terrifying and it's scary and all the things, and I wish I could do it all for Cameron, but I mean the hope is Cameron can get a transplant and live a normal life and have children and continue to dance after recovery, and that's where the hope is. You know Cameron, I dancing and she's. She dances so many hours a week and, trust me, it's nerve wracking but she loves it and I think it's what she needs to keep her going too Right, would you agree, cameron?
Speaker 1:Yeah, Well, go ahead, Diana. You ask the question because I know we have the same question.
Speaker 2:Actually, I'm putting have the same question. I think I have many questions, actually I'm putting all these pieces together, but what I was going to ask? Because you shared what an inspiration Cameron is for you and I'm curious, Cameron, what inspires you and gives you hope through all of them?
Speaker 4:I would say dance gives me a really big inspiration because I have many friends there who understand. And then I have also just dancing Like I don't think of anything, Like I don't think about oh my gosh, I have this doctor's appointment coming up, or I have all this. Like I just kind of just dance and like that has been a really big, huge part of my life and how I like inspire others and stuff.
Speaker 1:I would imagine excuse me, I keep having a frog in my throat, but I would imagine that just the sheer act of dancing you see in a very real way how strong and wonderful your body is day in and day out. This is what your body can do, and you're proving that and showing that it's just wonderful. I mean, what a fabulous choice and a fabulous way to treat your body that has so much functionality. That is stellar. Yeah, like that's the truth also, while also dealing with the rest. Yeah, beautiful. Do you find that the dance is? I don't want to put words in your mouth, but it sounds like almost meditative to me, like that you just get in a zone with it. Is that true?
Speaker 4:will do a meditation thing and it puts like everyone in a zone to the point where, like, some people will be crying, some people will be laughing, some people will just like be happy, or some people just won't feel anything. And it's crazy how much in a trance like you basically go into. So that's really helpful, especially when we do it at the end of the week. We usually do it on Thursdays, so it's really helpful because it's like the end of the week we have like so much homework from school. It's like our cool down moment.
Speaker 2:So dance gives you hope, and I'm looking at the room you're sitting in and I don't know how long you've been dancing, but there are trophies all over and I'm excited because I dance related. So will you share with us a little bit, cameron kind of what your dance journey looks like? I know your mom said you dance many hours a week. I'm curious how it started, how it's developed, what you're doing.
Speaker 4:So it started when my friend Brianna that I've been friends with since kindergarten my friend Brianna that I've been friends with since kindergarten, me and her we were like best friends and she was doing dance and she was she felt like she had like because she's very introverted and I'm very like like, very outgoing and stuff, and so she was like hey, kim, I would like if you would join my studio with me and like take some classes with me, because, like I don't really have any friends there and I want someone there with me. I was like, okay, yeah, I'll see about it. And I've done dance in the past, like little classes, like I've done ballet. I was not good in ballet, like I'd go up to the mirror, not listen, just look at myself. And then I did like dance, like when I was what, like eight or seven.
Speaker 4:I did a a hip hop class. I have some videos. That is not interesting, I'm jumping around, obviously. So I did this acro class and it was really fun. And then my acro teacher was like you should try jazz. And I was like, ok, so I joined the jazz class and I really liked that class. And then the teacher in that class was like, take a ballet so that you know the basic steps of jazz. So I took a ballet and I had those three classes for about a year and I had a teacher that's now my solo teacher and, like my favorite teacher of all time, she subbed for my ballet class one time because one of the teacher that was originally there she was, um, she just had a baby, so she was off, like for a while. And so the teacher was like, hey, camera, you should join comp. And I was just like, um, maybe, and then my mom was like, dang, this is a lot of money. Like, are you sure you want to do comp?
Speaker 4:and all that and I was like, yeah, we can try it and see how it goes. And I had one group dance and that was the best group dance. It was to the song sign of the times by harry styles. It was. It was an amazing piece by my teacher, miss alia, and then after that it placed a lot of first and thirds and especially, um, that one to the farthest right here. That trophy was the first ever comp trophy and I was the only one who had a one group dance. So they said cameron should go up and get the award. And that was probably the best moment of my like comp days because it was really fun, because I was talking on a microphone just saying we dance academy, like let's go and stuff, and we got like first place.
Speaker 3:It was really fun how old were you when you started? 12, 12, yeah, yeah. So it was a couple of years into her to her diagnosis that she did start dancing but the cirrhosis was not. The cirrhosis wasn't confirmed yet till, I would think, her first year. And then you know, you're just, I just let her do her thing. I mean, as long as her body is letting her, I say, go for it. And then you should share about what happened at nationals.
Speaker 4:Oh, nationals of 2024. Was it?
Speaker 3:Yeah, just this past nationals.
Speaker 4:It was in Las Vegas and it was really fun because my aunt from um new jersey came down and she, um, she came to watch and it was probably one of the best comps. She could have came to um, because it was I. It's a funny story. So the past. So, right before group awards and like before we were even going to solo awards, I opened this fortune cookie at Panda Express and it said I have it on the back of my phone. But it said you have the attitude of a winner and awards hasn't even happened yet. And then when I went to awards, I got um national first place and that's the giant trophy right there. Yeah, oh, oh. The camera went away, yeah.
Speaker 3:You can pull it out if you want Well the podcast can't, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but we can.
Speaker 4:We can see it.
Speaker 1:And that's thrilling. I mean, I'm just well, we're so impressed and we're very proud of you. I have no personal right to be proud of you, but I am just a fellow human being, young woman on the planet just absolutely fully embracing and living your life, and doing it so joyfully and using every tool at your disposal, like Bravo you and any standards, regardless of the health condition. This is, this is an inspiring way to live. Yeah, and just I love your story of how your friend asks you and you're like, yeah, I'll do that, even though and it's so important even though you'd not had success before, you said I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to jump in.
Speaker 1:You know this, this will be a thing to do, and I think that very thing is something that stops a lot of people from leading their best lives, right? Is that this fear of failure? Or they had some challenge in the past and so, oh, no, I'm not going to do that thing. I'm too afraid. And you are definitely leading a life where you're just going to jump in any way and then look what happens. It's inspiring in any circumstances, cameron, and I hope you know that. How just beautiful that is.
Speaker 3:Thank you and you know what I was kind of. That kid that I tried out for softball freshman year didn't make it. I was like I'm never trying out for anything again. So I'm glad I didn't pass that on to her and I think it is great. You're absolutely right. Just the inspiration, and I think it is great, You're absolutely right.
Speaker 1:Like just the inspiration and I think it's I see her touch a lot of lives and it's just, it's just amazing and I mean same to like. You women like you're amazing and you like inspire us all and I love what you're doing and I appreciate you having us and, you know, wanting to hear from Cameron and I'm so glad to have met you. Back at you, for sure, a million percent, a million percent. I love you, friend, so much.
Speaker 2:I love you too. Another question who inspired you, whether it's in the dance world or just in life, who are you inspired by?
Speaker 4:I would honestly say my mom, my mom always was there, like for me, for everything, like she's always just been like my person. That has always like that was always there, and then also my grandma. She's always been like me and her have this saying we go like number one and stuff like that. And so, yeah, I'd probably say my mom and my grandma, they're my biggest inspirational. Yeah, and I want to say yeah.
Speaker 3:And it's just, like you know, generational, because my mom to me is she is such a rock and she's so positive. And you know, my mom was our family's been through a lot our whole lives when, when I was four years old, my dad passed away from cancer and he was 34. My mom was 34 and my brother was two years old. I was four, my sister was seven, so you know, watching she was, she never wanted us to think life sucks. So it was. You know, watching she was. She never wanted us to think life sucks. So you know, an inspiration my whole life. And then she did go on to get remarried and at when I was 16, my stepdad passed away suddenly from a heart attack. So widowed twice at a young age. And now she is married to my stepdad Bobo, who's still here, and now she's married to my stepdad Bobo, who's still here.
Speaker 3:And you know, just watching my mom, like the positivity from her is just amazing and she's so loving she. Actually, her and Cameron remind me a lot of each other. And my mom goes to. During the pandemic she didn't get to go to any. We went through it alone, cameron and I, but now my mom's able to go with us. So and you know she's, she's so positive and it just helps us with a really great mindset.
Speaker 1:So talking about all of this and we will honor her privacy because she's not here and she didn't agree to be on the podcast. We were talking something else. But you have another daughter, whom I also know through your stories. It leads a very authentic and truthful life, with great integrity, and is extremely inspirational in that way as well, so shout out to your other daughter as well.
Speaker 3:Yes, savannah. Savannah is brilliant. You know she's so like cool and calm, and you know she's like such a great person for us to be around too, because you know there's no panic drama. She's just there for us and Cameron and her. You know they're so different but they love each other so much and you know it's just. I love my girls so much. I'm so blessed and lucky.
Speaker 2:I love to hear just the stories of strong, powerful, empowered women and girls Like this is just the coolest thing for me to hear. Right.
Speaker 3:Hearing about your young girls gives me hope for the future of really the world, knowing that these girls are ready to take it all on oh yeah, these they, this younger generation, they're amazing because even their friends and everyone they're around, you know it's inspiring and you know you see here some people oh, I'm so glad I don't have girls, but it's like, well, don't be glad you don't have girls, because girls are amazing truth so much truth in that, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And you know, I don't say I'm partial to boys too, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:But sometimes people say like girls are drama, girls are this no, girls are wonderful boys are wonderful and, and it's right make the world go round together.
Speaker 1:And let's celebrate the power and potency of being a woman in this world and all that you have to offer. And this is Cameron. You are just absolutely firing us up and lighting us up with how you're choosing to live and to celebrate this life that you have and take every moment. It's reminding me about, you know, choices I make in my own life and I thank you so much for that. But now you've got something right there, go ahead, I'll be quiet.
Speaker 2:I just agree with you. It's just you know again, as a slightly older person, it's just you know again, as a slightly older person, I could remember being 16. And I don't know if I met life quite the way you did, and I think it's the things that I could learn as you know, a mother of young adults, how to keep saying yes in the world, how to keep showing up in the world, how to keep being authentic in the world, I think is just no matter our age or our journey. I think that's really important. So I appreciate you sharing.
Speaker 3:And we appreciate you for letting us be on your podcast. This has been fun it was easy peasy, Laurie.
Speaker 1:As I say, when we talk I'm always so moved and inspired by what it is that you have to share and I just to be real with you, friend I just love how you meet the world and how you meet people. You know we talk, we know that you've got a variety of people and energies that sit in your chair and sometimes can be heavy right in their energy, but you meet everybody with tremendous amount of love and acceptance, but never lose sight of your center and what's true for you, and I just I honor and respect that so deeply. I'm so grateful for you know, being on the receiving end of all that love and welcome as well. So you too, my friend, you, to lead a life that is is very inspiring and it doesn't have to be in these tremendous, like these enormous ways when, front of stadiums full of people, it's one chair at a time, what?
Speaker 1:a difference you make, what a difference.
Speaker 3:Oh, thank you, I appreciate that and you know I'm glad that it is inspiring because you know there is there is a lot of fear with a lot of hope and you know I'm thankful for the support and like. But if we can inspire people to just you know and just you know, be thankful for like what you have in life and the people around you, and you know tomorrow's not always promised and you know so you just got to live in each day just got to live in each day.
Speaker 2:So this next kind of section of questions, we like to do this rapid fire. We call it rapid fire even though it's not really rapid, it's just we want you to answer with the first thing that comes to mind. And you two are the first guests that we've had two of you on at one time. So I'd love to kind of hear from you know, mom and daughter, so each of you share without you know, copy the other person if the answer is the same, but don't give the same answer if it's not. So you know when you like are walking onto the stage to accept that big award or to do a big. You know TED talk. There's music playing as you're walking in. What would be your walk-in song? What is the song playing for everybody to hear?
Speaker 4:It would probably be all of the stars by Kendrick Lamar and SZA. Awesome, that's the one. That's the one.
Speaker 2:And how about you? It'd probably be Hot to Go by Chopper Room Hot to Go by Chopper Room.
Speaker 3:Okay, I haven't experienced that. All right, cool.
Speaker 1:All right, so here's the next question, and, lori, you go first on this one what book changed you?
Speaker 3:um, I remember reading Little Girl Lost from Drew Barrymore as a young girl and I feel like that may have changed me. Little Girl Lost I'm pretty sure that's the title, Great Cameron.
Speaker 4:I think honestly, I need to read more. That's what I think.
Speaker 1:What book did you love when you were a little girl? Like what picture book, story book?
Speaker 4:The who Was books and Pinkalicious.
Speaker 1:Pinkalicious rock on.
Speaker 4:Pinkalicious was a good one, which was just banned.
Speaker 3:I know it was just banned.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean banned by silly people, it's not banned by thinking people. Sorry, I'm just going to be real and straight with that Books are our friends in all ways and all ways.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, okay, so not a book, but a movie. What movie lives rent free in your brain? What movie can play over and over Beaches?
Speaker 4:or I was about to say say friends, but friends is a tv show. So beaches or anyone but you. Those are my top two good, how about you?
Speaker 3:kate hudson, the one where she travels with the band, which is like one of my favorite movies oh, yeah, um almost famous Thank you.
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 3:Sometimes I feel like I get dementia out of nowhere.
Speaker 1:That's a great movie, okay, so what did you love doing as a kid that you love doing to this day?
Speaker 4:I liked when I was younger, I liked painting like a little bit, and I like doing that now. It's probably my second favorite hobby. That and just honestly playing like toys, iPad TV, like yeah, outside with like the hose and spraying on my friends and stuff. So that's so good. Oh, my God, I almost fell.
Speaker 1:Laurie, what's your thing? You love, that you love to this day.
Speaker 3:I love makeup. To me it's like very relaxing. You know I just sit there, you decompress, paint your face, and that's how I started my career. You know I wanted to be a makeup artist and then I like to the clientele part doing hair.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, makeup we've talked about that, that you, that it's meditative for you to put on makeup and I almost never wear any makeup, but you, like, I am so impressed with how you use it and why and all of that, it's like I was like oh, I wish I had that it's the calm before the storm in the day.
Speaker 3:You know, I'm just gonna sit here and paint oh yeah, I I mean for my winter formal.
Speaker 4:Last night I did like a lot of makeup, but then on a usual day I'll just do mascara and like lip gloss or something.
Speaker 1:Okay, and we have to say we're still in the middle of um the rapid fire, but you have to like honor and celebrate Cameron, queen Cameron, at your winter formal last night. Like what. That's amazing, congrats.
Speaker 2:Thank you. That winter formal was last night and we're having you record with us first thing in the morning. That's it. You're up and you're smiling and you're looking so good. So let's see, we'll start with you, lori, this time. What in the world is lighting you up right now? What's giving you joy right now?
Speaker 3:Just sitting here with listening to all these inspirational things and you know I go so a lot of nights I go to bed nervous or worried and last night I you know I so excited for Cameron getting crowned at her dance and it just puts life in perspective about all the like great things. You know let's not dwell on all the negative and scary things and and how about you, cameron, probably?
Speaker 4:dance, dance. I just love dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance. Like that's just everything. And I really love like the um, like the feeling before going on stage, like that nervousness. You're like freaking out, you're telling your friends like, oh my gosh, I better go on stage. It's all these random judges I've never talked to on a day of my life, like I'm so nervous. And then, right when you walk on stage, it's just like everything goes away and you're dancing.
Speaker 1:That is gorgeous. Thank you for that moment. That is, that is a truth, and I love that. I work a lot in theater and that is something we talk about all the time, isn't it how you use that energy to you? Don't let it take you out, but you use it yeah, adrenaline is your best friend, yeah adrenaline is your best friend.
Speaker 4:I love that, that's awesome, okay, so what color? Is hope um, I feel like it would be like, uh, like a green almost. I like like.
Speaker 2:Green just gives me, like almost, a color of hope love it, I would, I would say pink pink, beautiful yeah just think pink's my favorite color, yeah yeah, I'm thinking, if you, you know, look at your chakras, that green and pink are both colors of the heart chakra, which is, you know, oh, what does hope sound like?
Speaker 4:Hope sounds like laughter, crying and like just like breathing in a way, like it's just like all those three things that you feel and that bring you hope. Like when you're crying, you're like almost like crying either for good things, bad things, but you know there's hope there. And laughing You're just like like I'm there and I'm living, and then breathing is just like a decompressing, like just like get back into the moment type thing.
Speaker 1:Cameron, I don't know if you know how profound what it is what you just said really is. I'm going to take that with me. I'm going to hold on to the laughter and the tears. That's gorgeous.
Speaker 3:How about you, Lauriei? I would say, hope for me is living in each day and, just, you know, living life to its fullest and not drowning yourself in worry, which is, you know, it's a constant reminder, but it's, the hope is there, and you know, you just remind yourself, it's a lot of self-talk. So, yes, and like, of course, Cameron. I mean you wake up to Cameron, she's smiling, and both of my girls, they're just happy people and I mean how can you not have hope when you get to talk to her every day? She's so I mean she could, even when she gets blood work. It's like she's excited, it's like you know.
Speaker 4:That's probably my favorite part of all my things I get done blood work.
Speaker 3:It's fun. She talks to the doctor, she talks to the nurses. They're like I'm not even going to talk to mom, I'm going to talk to Cameron.
Speaker 1:Amazing, so beautiful, okay, so complete. The statement Dance is Dance is life.
Speaker 4:Dance is just happiness, living in the moment. And there's always ups and downs in dance. There's always like you get injured, like for, in fact, she did the hand motion, but, um, because, like you could like one day not know that you're gonna get hit in the face with the foot and then have a face face fracture, like I did. And so, yeah, there's for sure, ups and downs, because I couldn't dance for four weeks and comp just started, so I was very behind on all my dances and I have six this year. So that was a very like hard head start.
Speaker 4:But otherwise, like dance, just like laughing, like when you're about to go on stage or when you're in class and you're warming up and someone like trips and falls on accident but it's funny. So everyone's laughing, everyone like stops doing the warm-up and it's just like crazy. And then trying on the costumes and stuff, which we did um, we didn't do yesterday, we did Friday, or no, we did do yesterday, because Saturday we had a seven-hour practice and, yeah, we tried on costumes. Everyone was cheering each other up, like, wow, that that looks really great on you Wish I had that costume and, yeah, dance is just life.
Speaker 4:I love that. How about?
Speaker 3:you, Laurie, you know dance. It's totally. I never saw me being a dance mom, it wasn't anything I pushed. I'm so thankful. You know, the people we've met in the dance world are just amazing, and Cameron's friendships and the teachers and just the studio owner. It's like everybody's just, you know, wonderful and it's. I think it's been a really great thing for our family. You know, it brings us together. Savannah never misses a competition. My family doesn't miss the comp, so it brings everybody together and it's something to look forward to.
Speaker 1:So dance is community and it's connection. It sounds like yes, for sure.
Speaker 2:Yes, which is life at all? Is that big? Yeah, exactly Right. So that brings us to the meaning of life. The meaning of life is what?
Speaker 4:the meaning of life. The meaning of life is what the meaning of life to me is probably like just being with people that you're closest to and living almost in the moment. Like not worrying about, like oh, like this guy didn't text me back this, like other thing like the drama, like you're just almost living in the moment, like especially like at a concert, for example, like not recording. You're just like. You're like I'm just going to live in the moment, listen to the music and party and be with like my mom and my sister, for example, and like hang out and stuff.
Speaker 3:So yeah, or, for example, and like hang out and stuff. So yeah, like, what about you? Life to me is definitely family, like that's everything over all. Yeah, family, and you know friends that are family, it's everything yeah.
Speaker 4:so then the last one hope is Hope is just like almost like I wouldn't say like hoping for the better, but like because there's always going to be something that you want better. Because, like the saying, like you want what you can't have. Like, for example, like some of my friends will be like, hey, I like your straight hair, I wish I had straight hair. And I was like hey, I like your curly hair, wish I had curly hair, and stuff like that. And yeah, just hope is just like just remembering, like where you are in life and just always knowing that, like the storm comes and goes, like it will be like either the hardest time, but just know not to give up and just keep on pushing through because the good is on the other side and stuff.
Speaker 1:So yeah, girl, you have no idea.
Speaker 3:All right, miss Laurie hope is hope to me is, you know, not giving up. For me it's like a constant reminder of you know, have that hope, don't give up, like we got this. And you know with all the community and friends and family, and you know that's my hope and you know just, we're not giving it up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, lori and Cameron, we can't thank you enough for taking the time and sharing with us so openly and gorgeously, cameron. Well, lori, you know I love you and your friend for life. Cameron, this little talk with you has absolutely changed me and impacted me beautifully, and I want you to know that I thank you so much for sharing yourself.
Speaker 4:I'm so glad that that like inspired you for sure.
Speaker 2:Thanks for joining us today on Soul Sisteries.
Speaker 1:And thanks for sharing stories with us. We'd love to hear your stories as well and keep the conversation going, absolutely keeping the hope going. So we're really hopeful that you'll connect with our guests as well, who have great stories to share. Go ahead and follow them in various social media platforms or live venues, wherever it is that they're performing and sharing what they do.
Speaker 2:We would love to have you follow us on all of our social media platforms, subscribe and rate, as that will help us get our message of hope out to others. Thanks for listening to Soul Sisteries.
