Reunion Reflections

(photo credit: Janet Snook-Bailey Kappesser; date April 4, 2009)


“When we think of friends, and call their faces out of the shadows, and their voices out of the echoes that faint along the corridors of memory, and do it without knowing why save that we love to do it, we content ourselves that that friendship is a Reality, and not a Fancy--that it is built upon a rock, and not upon the sands that dissolve away with the ebbing tides and carry their monuments with them.” (written by Mark Twain, in a letter to Mary Mason Fairbanks)

It was great to see my high school classmates over this year's spring break. These are the people I grew up with. I know their sacred secrets, and they know mine; we all know where everybody’s warts and scars are. We fought with each other, loved and hated each other, supported each other, gossiped about each other, and watched each other fail and succeed. Now that we’ve ventured out into the great big world, we look back with the kind of enlightenment that only comes with age and see why we made the choices we did. We understand each other profoundly better than when we were oh-so-young.

Time has marched on, as our wrinkles and thighs will attest. Sadly, a few of us are members of the “Dead Dads Club,” and some of us have even lost both parents or siblings and other beloved family members. Each loss helps remind us of the shortness of life and reinforces the network of those of us who remain. We stand by those we love, help them grieve, and consider it our privilege to do so.

To the amazement of our teachers, and probably our parents, this whiny bunch of self-centered knuckleheads has grown into some of the finest people I have the pleasure of calling “friends.” The older I get, the more prominent their place in my heart becomes. The best of qualities have been nurtured and honed in these folks who've shared my life: compassion, forgiveness, humor, loyalty. I’ve got their back and they’ve got mine--today, and always. Love you guys!!!!

P.S. For other photos from reunion, click here Fran's Facebook Reunion Pix