Reunions

I feel fortunate that I've had a week of getting to see people I haven't seen for years. Last weekend was my ten-year high school reunion, and I can't believe how great it was to see my classmates - especially some that I hadn't really gotten to know in high school, didn't talk to much. Funny, but they were the ones, for the most part, who didn't seem so horrified that I am not exactly the same person as I was ten years ago. I think, if we were completely honest, that all of us have a list divided in half: things we're very proud of, and things we're not so proud of. I'm guessing. And that means we're growing, and experiencing things, and deciding what it is we want to keep and what we don't think is good for us (no, I don't plan on being a smoker). Things happen. You start working at a tough place and have to stay or else lose your license, so maybe you pick up some bad habits to cope. Not proud, but it's my reality. Or you have some bad experiences with religion and you decide to take a break for awhile (not from God), and find out what you truly believe and want to live by. That's where I'm at. And though I'm constantly back and forth, not often at peace, I'm coming closer to accepting that --- it's how I work. It will finally be ok when I stop beating myself up over every decision I have made, or haven't made, or every time I've hurt someone unintentionally and there's nothing at all I can do to fix it. Or whatever else is going to happen. I'm trying my best. We've heard it plenty of times before, but ----- it's all we can do.

My friend Mary came to visit tonight, on the second half of the orbit she's been on all summer around the United States. How good it was to see her! It had been a couple of years since we'd gotten together but, like true friends can do --- we picked right back up.

Thank you, Mary, for the visit! And thank you, Melissa and Josh, for all of the hard work you put into our reunion. It was great to have us all together again.