Re-union the big 3-0

Hard for me to believe but it has been 30 years since I graduated from Flagstaff High School (Go Eagles!). Phil and I have attended each reunion, the 10, 20 and now the 30. During both the Friday and Saturday event I was struck by not only our physical changes, but our changes in how we interact with each other. Hugs were given and received for no other reason than to say how glad we were together; it didn't even matter that 30 years ago we didn't have a class or spent time together.

Comparing the reunions was fun. At the 10 year reunion most of us had married, found a career path and had young children. Stories at that reunion still had some of the social standings interlaced, and there was still competitiveness somewhat in where you lived or what you were doing.

As the 20 rolled around, perspective in the stories seemed to change; they were less edgy and less judgemental focusing more on the goofy things that we did. By this time we had lost some class members to death, incarceration or just didn't know where they went. This was our class reminder that our journey is indeed finite.

30 years and it went by so quickly. We don't look the same as we were young, our experience shows through the lines on our faces, the extra pounds that we carry and a few carry the same vices they had in High School. There were some people that you could tell by just looking at them that life for them had grown in a good way, they were content, they were happy. Others showed that perhaps they wished they had taken a different turn at some point and held on to some regrets. Photos were shared by passing around camera phones and consisted of grown children and in some cases grandchildren.

Since my family moved so often and I was able to spend two full years with them, I look upon them as the family of my childhood, my last connecting thread to that time in my life. The memories are fond and I am so grateful I was embraced by this small community. Memories shared this time were more of a salute to the past as a way of saying thanks for being a part of the fabric of who we have become. There were more losses, and more vows to "keep in touch" and a commitment to get together in 5, not 10 more years, as well as making every effort to find those that didn't join us.

I enjoyed this reunion as a reminder of my past but also to see how far I have come. I am now a grateful child of God, wife, mother and grandmother, sister, daughter and friend. I look forward to the day when another reunion will come; when I see my Savior face to face, when I see loved ones and more friend from my past. That will be the greatest reunion ever. In the meantime, I will cherish old friends and will work harder at keeping in touch.