Last weekend, I chose to attend my 60th high school reunion. The event had magic in it.

“What was magical” you ask?  Let me start with some background. 

I recall a song I learned as a young Girl Scout, while standing in a circle around the campfire, holding hands, and singing, “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver, but the other gold.” The fire warmed my body. The song warmed my heart. I didn’t yet recognize the significance of the words within the melody of that song.  

These girls were beloved lifelong friends, many of whom I’d known even before we started to school together. I belonged and felt connected. I didn’t yet have the capacity to contemplate the future or imagine that I’d marry a career Army soldier, which required me to uproot from this “warm, fuzzy cocoon” and be thrust out of my comfort zone into the larger world. For someone like me, navigating this new environment proved challenging. We had no training or ‘owner’s manual’ for military spouses. You simply had to figure it out on your own.  

While serving as a military spouse, my #1 challenge was connection/disconnection. We moved every two or three years, so Just about the time I began to feel connected or that I could add value or make a difference at a new duty station, we’d get orders to relocate, and the cycle would begin all over again. Most relationships seemed superficial because it was too painful to connect, only to soon disconnect and move on.     

Fast-forward to our 60th LaPorte High School reunion.

Attending this special event was like stepping into a nostalgic time machine blended with the present. Its magic comes through the enchantment of reconnecting with old friends and classmates after too many years. The familiarity of their faces, mixed with changes over time, links the past to the present through shared history. Reminiscing with long-forgotten stories and experiences stirs the mind and spirit, rekindling bonds that may have faded with time. The liveliness of these conversations reignites vivid memories and emotions that literally helped shape our formative years and still inform who we are today. These memorable connections represent missing pieces of the puzzle within a military lifestyle. I believe such meaningful connections deeply enrich our lives. 

What are your thoughts and feelings regarding high school reunions? 

I invite you to Join me for next week’s blog when we will delve deeper into the magic.

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