I went, I saw, I survived

We just rolled in from our 12 hour drive back to Michigan from Atlanta. We had a week full of visiting family and friends and, of course, my 20th high school reunion. While I was not relishing the idea of attending I must admit I was intrigued to see old friends, hear of their current lives and see who’d aged gracefully and who, well, hadn’t.

The evening was planned by my twin sister, Heather, with help from two other classmates, but Heather was the point person. The reunion coordinator Heather hired to “help” was a complete bust so she was left to do much on her own, and we were both concerned about what we’d find when we walked into the hall. But everything was lovely: the food was excellent and the service was, too. The DJ left a LOT to be desired, however. What is so hard to understand that the people who graduated in 1988 wanted to hear music from the ‘80’s, not Justin Timberlake and current day-Madonna. Where was the music from Journey, Genesis and Toto (remember them?!), Michael Jackson, Prince and the Police? And nothing from U2? Are you kidding me?

And while we’re on the music, can I just say that, Mr. DJ, we do not want you to darken the room, crank the volume and play Rihanna. We are not going to dance even though you begged us to “get on the dance floor and dance all night long” – maybe if you’d played Lionel Richie – Mr. DJ, this was our 20th year reunion. We are old now. We want you to play music we remember but low enough so we can actually talk and be heard. Didn’t you notice the majority of our class attendees ended up in the lobby just so we could hear each other? Just a thought…

Other than that, it was a fun night. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing old friends, hearing how life was treating them, and being thankful most seemed well. The career fields ran the gamut: cardiac surgeon, vet, CPA, home builders, pediatric surgeon, college professors, teachers, marketing, human resources, ministry. I was glad so many were successful in their chosen professions.

Sean and I were two of the first to leave; we had to get back to Mom’s and pack for the trip home. While I would have enjoyed a few more hours getting to chat with friends who came from as far as Oregon, Montana, Minnesota and Washington D.C., a sense of contentment washed over me. If you’d have told 18 year old Christy that at her 20th high school reunion she’d be a homeschooling mom of three I’m sure she would have laughed. The 1988 Christy was going to be a missionary in Africa and a big-time DJ (the melding of those two diverse career paths never seemed to concern me). I could hardly see myself married, much less a mother. But 20 years later I could not be more thankful to be walking through the parking lot, hand in hand with Sean, heading home to my three sweet children. Just goes to show God’s ways truly are better than mine, and that He has an excellent sense of humor.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9

We haven't changed that much in 20 years, have we...?