One year ago, I perforated my esophagus at family dinner in Pennsylvania. I stayed through Christmas and was discharged on the 31st with a stent that would then be removed on January 14th. This post isn’t primarily focused on those 5 weeks; it’s about the year after. If you'd like to read move about those specific weeks, feel free to read previous posts. 

Going back to work was exciting yet a bit overwhelming. While I was preparing to get back to normal, I was building a diet and gaining weight back after losing 30 pounds, Marie Kondo’d my apartment, and made an outline of how I should pace myself going back so I don’t overdo it. 

Well, those who know me know I don’t sit still often or well. Before I knew it, I was back at school full-time, returning to play services for church, and music directing a show to be going up later in March. The thing was- those weeks changed my perception of life and I realized I couldn’t go back to the way things were (at least not the same way again). I knew I had to make changes to my life in order to enjoy it. Cramming as much as you can into one day may seem efficient, however you lose those little moments in every day things.

One of the first changes (which I’m excited to start next year) is adding more personal time to my contract for church. I’ve already planned to go a dear friend’s recital in New Jersey on President’s Day weekend, started planning out an extended vacation the end of July, and my sister’s wedding in October. With having more time to travel and be with family, I’m hoping to build stronger connections with others while taking that time to making sure I’m taking care of myself.

Another change is to be taking a break from music directing and actively playing piano for shows starting the end of the July through at least the end of 2021. I will still play for shows here and there, but in a very limited capacity or just for performances. While I love theatre and all the things about it, I need to make sure the life of Justin Streletz isn’t just another show to put up after a few months and moving on to the next.

The last thing (and probably biggest thing) that I’ve finally done is being honest with people about how I feel. I’m thankful to have those close friends (Jay, Melissa, Laura, Chrissy, amongst others) that I can genuinely be myself with and be honest about how I’m feeling instead of putting how I feel in a box until later. It’s a beautiful thing having those friends (who I can consider family as well) being there for you.  

I’m thankful for all of your kind wishes, support, and strength over this past year. While it has not been in the way I wanted, I’m thankful to have come these realizations and appreciate life around me and experiencing it with others. I wish you all the best moving into the next year and what’s to come next.

~ Justin