Happy Little Secrets

Last night I saw Melissa Leilani Larson's award winning play,

Happy Little Secrets

at Provo's Echo Theatre.

The show is only running for three more shows.

If you haven't seen it, make it a priority.

Have you ever sat in a church meeting and found yourself just caught up in the speaker's words? So much so, that you allowed yourself to observe how caught up you felt? And in that moment, you realized that it was because the person speaking was also caught in a trance of thought--the kind of trance that only comes when a person is speaking heavy truth. The kind of truth that doesn't allow for an ounce of pretension or interpretation. We generally don't notice how riveting truth is. We often only notice the absence of the genuine. Say someone gets up to share their thoughts on God and they kind of shift uncomfortably, smile, and begin to talk about their life, making sure to list their best qualities. Their insincerity in such a forum is grating. I remember one woman got up in a singles ward and talked about how she liked to place laminated scriptures in her shower so she could read the word of God every morning. Needless to say, her words were heavy with nothing but a desire to show off. It is what it is. If you've had the experience of being carried away in the truth of a heartfelt testimony, it can be grating when someone is less than authentic.

Sometimes I'll go and see a play and I count myself lucky if I am carried away in two, maybe three moments.

Little Happy Secrets is heavy with truth. I felt like my soul was floating. I could see the leading lady, Jessica Myer, glowing in front of me. She was golden and this aura dazzled around her face. She was playing a part, but the words were so heavy with truth, they carried the audience away--or rather--further into the moment.

In this place of truth, my heart filled and tears began to just fall down my face.

It was a small theatre and I didn't want to distract. But the tears kept coming. Not bad tears, just an overflowing heart.

I used my sweater to wipe my neck, my cheeks, my nose, my eyes.

And then again.

If you haven't seen it yet.... go.

Today I am grateful for Melissa Leilani Larson. She wrote a beautiful play.