Reflection of the Past

I went to my 20 year high school reunion this past weekend. Wow! 20 years! Still can't believe it! Feels like just yesterday that some of the guys I knew picked up my 1980 MGB convertible and moved it to the 50 yard line of our football field. Yes, they thought it was hysterical and no, I didn't...not at first anyway. At first I thought it was stolen. Then of course the laughter began when word spread through the senior parking lot and finally made it to me.

High school was full of memories for me. Most of them good but as with most of us...there were a few heartbreaks,  a few dozen mistakes made, losses to teams we despised (not very often mind you...our school rocked in the sports department), fights with friends over what now I wish I could go back in time and do over and just plain, yucky cafeteria food.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to go my reunion. I know...silly, right?! Who doesn't want to see if that guy you thought would have 5 divorces by now really had them?! Or if the girl that you were certain due to her beauty alone would be married to a billionaire and driving a Porsche 911 that you can only dream about?! That wasn't enough to draw me in though. I still have a lot of the same qualities and characteristics that I had in high school but in the 20 years since then I have matured (a bit). I wasn't sure if I wanted to be reminded of the not so great qualities and characteristics that I had changed for the better over the years.

Then I thought of something that happened about two years ago when both Ash & Bean started at a new school. They each came home on the first day and said that they had already made a friend. You can't hope for anything better, right?! Well, as the first month passed and social events started steadily picking up on the girls' calendars I got to know these two girls that my daughters had claimed as friends. It also just so happened that these two girls were the daughters of two girls that I went to high school with and hadn't seen in close to 18 years. And once they realized that their daughters had become close to my daughters, they didn't shun them because of who I was 20 years ago. It actually gave them (and me) some comfort to know that we do have a past together. We know how we all grew up and we also now know who we have grown to be. 

Ash & her friend still smiling two years later

Bean & her friend celebrating with ice cream two years after that first day

It was the relationships that I have formed with both of these mommys that helped me change my mind to buy the ticket to the reunion. Well, that and the fact that one of those mommys happened to be in the same graduating class and basically kicked me in the bum, told me to stop being so shy, buy a ticket and go have a good time with her and the rest of the Class of 1991. You know what?! I am so happy I did! I saw old friends that I didn't even realize how much I missed until our first hello again in however many years. I also saw the old me from 20 years ago and I actually liked her a lot more than I remember I did. Do you know why? Because the classmates I caught up with at the reunion didn't point out my faults from 20 years ago, they pointed out what they liked about me 20 years ago.

So, from now on instead of trying to hide from the past...I am going to embrace it because my past is what made me who I am today and I like that person 9 out of 10 days.

Graduating Class of 1991...it was great to see all of you!