In the last year, I have been part of two large reunions. The first was held last year around this time as we held a reunion for my father's side of the family. We planned and changed the events and locations several times before finalizing them. The main event was held at my brother's house and we lucked out and had a beautiful day - especially as all of the fun was scheduled for out of doors. We were forced to use nametags (although I truly despise them), as it had been such a long time since we had seen some of our cousins. What a great day - reconnecting with relatives and remembering fun times we had enjoyed as children.
The second event was held last weekend and the occasion was my 50th high school reunion! I know it's a cliche' to say, "where did the years go?", but I have to ask it anyway. These women are part of the fibers of my life and even though many of us have moved to different areas of the country and not kept in touch over the years, we remain a circle of friends. When we are together, we are once again those girls in high school who giggled together and agonized over lost loves and bad complexions. It makes no difference where the event is held or what food is served, the main focus of our party is conversation. We just can't get enough of it. Over the years we have lost many dear friends, and others have gone through serious illnesses and family crises. These events seem to draw our circle in closer as we unite in offering support to our friends, our "sisters". For those of us who live in the same city, we have made an effort as we have gotten older, to connect more frequently. We now hold what we like to call our "birthday luncheon" . We meet once a year for lunch at a nice restaurant to celebrate our collective birthdays for the year. At this age, we can't count on the next 50 year reunion!
