Twenty Year High School Reunion

My Senior Photo (1995)

My Teaching Photo (2015)

Written in June of 2015:  

     I have my twenty year high school class reunion tomorrow. Twenty years. I’m not the same gal I was twenty years ago. I’ve grown in my faith. I’ve developed a broader global perspective. I’m an experienced teacher.  I am happily married. I’ve become much more comfortable with who I am. So, why do I feel nervous to attend my class reunion? 
      I might be nervous because my ten year reunion was a bit awkward. Once we got over the initial shock of seeing the girls pregnant and the guys going bald, it was rather nice having conversations with people I hadn't seen in years. Unfortunately, people stood around in their same little circles with the same cliques. Athletes. Musicians. Smokers. Debaters. Gamers. Beauty queens. Farmers. I remember "breaking into" one of the circles where I didn’t “belong” to talk with a gal who had attended my eighth birthday party. She’d always been nice to me (even if we ran in different crowds). The rest of the circle literally turned their backs to us as we visited. There were additional disappointments and surprises that night that left me feeling disheartened and determined to never attend another class reunion. 
      But, time heals such wounds and here I am all registered and ready for tomorrow night. I’ve got my outfit picked out and I’ve reviewed faces in my yearbook to help me remember names. My husband has agreed to attend with me. There is a dinner and a dance, so we’ll have a fun evening out together. We recently attended his thirty year class reunion and had a wonderful time connecting with people. I’ve warned him that I graduated with four times as many classmates, so it won’t be the same. He’s keeping an open mind. 
      I’m keeping an open mind too. After all, this isn’t about me. My classmates and I have shared experiences and memories. We’re adults now. We contribute to society. I teach kids who are exactly like theirs. I do parent teacher conferences with adults who are just like them. Athletes. Musicians. Smokers. Debaters. Gamers. Beauty queens. Farmers. 
      There are going to be people there tomorrow night who don’t know the Lord. Some were friends of mine once upon a time. That friend from my sixth grade class. That girl who was in orchestra with me. That person who worked on the yearbook with me. That guy who sang in choir with me. That kid who was confirmed the same year as me. That classmate who was friends with the student who committed suicide. I wish I could take time to sit down in a quiet corner with each one and hear their stories. I wish I could share with them the hope and joy I have found in knowing the Lord. He is the answer to life’s hard things. He is good and He is faithful. He cares about every single soul who will be there tomorrow night. My prayer is that my classmates can see Jesus in me. I hope to have a great time at the reunion, but in addition, I am hoping that God uses me to encourage someone and draw someone closer to Him.