Here it is another very late night – it’s 12:23 here in Texas – and I have been busy since early this morning. I have helped unload a very full van, attended a mini-high school reunion with some of the ladies in my 1971 graduating class in Bonham, then had dinner with family and friends back in Sherman.
The best part of seeing everyone today at our mini-union was the sense of familiarity I felt the minute I walked in the door. I spent my first 18 years around many of the women in that room both in and out of school and we have many shared memories that revolve around friends, teachers, and childhood events. For many, I grew up visiting their homes and I know their parents, siblings, and maybe even the name of their childhood pet. When you grow up in a town of 7000, you get to know your fellow students in a class of 125 people pretty well over the course of 12 years. So, there we all were, many of us reunited through a Facebook connection, but with no in-person visits since graduation night in May of 1971, and within minutes, it felt as if it had been only two weeks since our last meeting. There is something unique about relationships with people you’ve known all your early life. A bond that remains whether you see each other or not.
I am so happy I made the trek from CA for this event. I feel as if I now have touched base with one of my earliest support systems and everything remains intact.
I am a lucky woman to have had such solid people in my life from such a young age. I am fortunate to continue to have them at age 60. There’s a great deal to be said for continuity. There is comfort in it, along with a sense of connection.
Thank you all who came to our little party. Thank you, Teresa and Dava Brent, for being such fine hosts. Fun, food, and laughter were the watchwords of this event. A continued sense of belonging was the outcome.
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