Once Upon a Time...and Yet Again!

Last Saturday night I entered a time warp of sorts! I (after being inpired by the Carmel Class of 1971)decided to attend my 45 th high school reunion! The last one I attended was about 20 years ago and, at that time, it seemed as though too much time had passed. In the years that followed, life happened--My husband passed away, my children grew up and married, and grandchildren arrived. My job became increasingly demanding. When those invitations to reunions came, it seemed too difficult to drive three hours back to my hometown to re-connect...and of course there were those extra pounds and wrinkles that had not been shed in time.
This past September, though, I was privileged enough to attend the Carmel Class of 1971 reunion. Folks came from many states away and resumed friendships from years gone by--The reunion room was filled with laughter and stories. I was inspired by this gathering and got up the gumption to attend my own reunion. I am so glad that I did!
I grew up in rural Pennsylvania in a more peaceful time. Our community was made up of farmers and small business owners--all hard workers. Many of the parents including mine had not finished high school let alone gone to college. They were the generation of both Depression and war and had learned from "the college of hard knocks"--to quote my Dad. A diligent work ethic was passed from them to us and doing one's best was the norm and expected. We were also expected to do better, reach higher, and achieve more than our parents had been able to do. I realized at the reunion that we had done just that. There were doctors, psychologists, and teachers. There were business owners, authors, and accountants. Though the converstaions often turned to retirement and grandchildren, it was clear that my classmates had led full, busy, and productive lives...and they were still going for more!
There was something in those conversations that evening that kept reminding me of Carmel and it has taken me several days to figure out the common thread. Perhaps love is too strong a word (maybe not) in describing the care that we had one for the other. Even all those years later after way had led to way, there was affection and laughter, and empathy. I think that it was these bonds that allowed us to move on to the adult lives we led. It is these qualities that I beleive we continue to instill in our young people so that they can do the same.
When you think about it, these were the same virtues that our parents shared with us. They are the values that are held dear in families everywhere. Schools, though institutions of learning, are havens for growing too. If that haven allows tentative young people to feel safe, try that which challenges them, accepts them whether they succeed or not, and inspires them to reach higher,then the school becomes "family" in the best sense of the word.
I have spent most of my life in schools like that and understand that I have been blessed many times over. We are challenged to create school communities that continue to invite us back--even decades later--to revel in the family of our school community. We are challenged to be sure that what is remembered is worth coming back! So, Class of 1966--I think we lived up to our parents dreams for us. Now it is up to us to be sure that those dreams are possible for our grandchildren too!