Lessons from Another Class

This weekend, I broke one of my major life rules.

I fraternized with people from my high school.

Now, I've visited with a select few here and there in the many (seriously...) years since I've graduated, but just a few. And I have a variety of reasons behind this rule. I was a drama/choir geek, as well as a big girl. I caught more than my share of the "clever" and "witty" jokes made by several of the popular kids. While I found comfort in the embrace of the equally awkward and outcast misfits who took up residence in our choir room and auditorium, the names and choice adjectives I received in the hallways made a lasting impact.

However, this weekend changed my outlook on reunions.

A good friend performed a benefit concert here in town. He took the theatre seed planted in high school and made a career as an actor. And a singer. And a dancer. And man, is he brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of that concert. Beyond his amazing performance, though, he invited some of his friends...our friends...to sing with him.

These were folks I loved in high school. We worked together on the drama productions and sang in the same choirs. So I wasn't apprehensive about seeing them. I knew, no matter what, we'd still be friends these many years later. It was wonderful to see them and catch up!

The next day, the class of '94--to which my actor friend and the others belong--had a reunion at our high school and later in the evening, at a local restaurant. My brother and I were invited to come. He had graduated two years later, and I was two years earlier. (If you do the math, you deserve to know my true age!) We decided to go, just to see what it was like.

There were a few others I hadn't seen since graduation. Again, it was lovely to see these people, get and give hugs, and chat for a little while. To see their kids. To see their faces carrying the memories of adolescence. To laugh over forgotten stories and share the heart behind our actions and words. At the restaurant, people mingled and enjoyed in a much more relaxed manner. I even met some new friends!

So, Class of '94, thank you for teaching me that reunions aren't that bad. That they can even be fun! You've given me courage to look past the hurt from my four years and walk bravely into my next reunion. You've shown me that we can grow up and forget the past. We can laugh together and enjoy the present. We can put foolishness behind us and hope for the future.

Bless you all.

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