For some of us, high school, unfortunately, was a traumatic experience for a myriad of reasons. I was very blessed in that I had the greatest high school experience one kid could possibly have. Great friends, great teachers, playing sports on teams that won a lot of games and on and on. We each had our own journey through those years and after as well.
So when word got out back in the spring about our 40th high school reunion coming up really hit me hard. 40 years since high school? No way. I remember when my mom had her 40th and I joked that I would go and be responsible for all the walkers they need to check in that night. We laughed. Thirty years later, not as funny.
I would run into those I graduated with and many said they were not going and offered up a ton of reasons why. A few said that their high school experience was terrible and they didn’t want to relive that. I completely understood that but it was hard to fathom because of mine. I will tell you what a pleasant surprise it was when a few who said they would not go actually showed up at our reunion.
It was the best time. Seeing old friends; laughing at fun times we had; talking about our lives now and on and on. Amazing how time flies in our life but at a reunion, it slows down. Actually almost to a full stop. That is the amazing part of the reunion. You are 16 again and loving every minute of it.
Just go when your reunion rolls around. Things that happened in high school that you completely forgot about that were so funny someone will bring up and you will just laugh and immediately remember all of it. Or someone will walk up to you and tell you that you are one of the big reasons they were able to get through those years because you made them laugh and you checked in on them. They have never forgotten that.
Three hours of stories and hugs and some tears and it made for the best evening possible. They have said if you can cry, smile, laugh and have gratitude for each of those things, you would have a full day. That Friday night of our reunion, I had a thousand good days.
Thank you to the 1986 McGavock high school class. I love you!
Just go, trust me, just go.
