and more reunion musings....

By the Saturday evening final event, I noticed a more relaxed atmosphere in the room. The reconnecting had already occurred and there was a feeling of comfortable familiarity.

The initial hugs of "wow, is it you?!" changed to "I'm so glad to see you again tonight". We were genuinely enjoying each other's company as if the years hadn't ever been an issue.

For me, it was a pretty incredible feeling. I realized that there was a strong bond that those friends from our high school days had together....and even time couldn't dilute the intensity of those feelings. As the dinner plates were removed and the music began...again we found ourselves dancing the night away. The laughter felt so good. A group of my old girlfriends felt such a strong bond and had such a good time together that we have vowed to reunite for a girlies week by June of next year. I can't wait.

Many of the earlier casual conversations gave way to more intimate one- on- one conversations. Together we mourned the loss of so many of our classmates. This had an especially profound affect on me as I continued to scan the list of members who had passed away since graduation... trying to make sense of these premature deaths. That was a very difficult part of the weekend for me.

As our past histories were discussed, I came to realize the unique and varied journeys that we had all been on. Many of my friends went the route that I would have imagined for them, but there were also quite a few surprises. I found myself wondering how I was perceived back then compared to the person I had grown up to be. Talking this over with my old friends led me to the realization that I was basically the same person. I had weathered the years of getting an education, marriage, motherhood and divorce with a mixture of feelings....and my heart was still the same. The outer trappings may have changed, and my life experiences certainly had molded me a bit....but I was still me....crazily joyous, passionate, fun-loving, deep thinking me. I felt authentic and accepting of myself for the first time in many years. It felt good....and I left that night feeling content and at peace.

Maybe that's what reunions are really all about...