I attended a class reunion (I know, most people have attended at least one of these). This one was different in that it was a 50th reunion, for a class I did not graduate with.
I grew up in a small town and attended school with about 30 classmates. The experience was wonderful in that everyone knew each other well, without cliques, and with various chances to shine. We moved after my ninth-grade year, and I enrolled in a much larger school. My graduating class had about 250 students.
Needless to say, I experienced culture shock, during my teenage years which is often difficult for many. It worked out well in that I was able to do above-average academically and participate in three sports. I developed great friends, who reconnected several years ago and until the pandemic, had group dinners every other month.
But I sometimes wondered what happened to my childhood friends and was delighted to receive the invitation to join them for this occasion. It was fun to be warmly welcomed as one of the group and to catch up with them.
Some class members had passed away, others had experienced life’s hardships, about half lived near where they grew up, and some traveled a long way to celebrate the occasion. It was amazing to see the deep connections they still had with each other. They have kept a tradition of gathering every five years.
Society has changed immensely over the past fifty years. Yet with its changes, that in many ways have made life easier, it seems like we don’t have time for true friendships, deeper connections, and group social activities.
Take the example that is being set by this group. If you’ve lost touch with your friends, take the time to reconnect and enjoy the relationships.
Time travels too quickly and we never know what the future has in store for us. You won’t regret it.
#friends #relationships #connections #traditions #reunion #timetoconnect
