September was an interesting month for me. I attended a retirement party for a nurse who worked at a hospital where I had been a department manager twenty years ago. I received a great deal of validation from my former employees. The acknowledgements were varied but positive about the way I had valued my employees and how they remembered me. The philosophy that I had lived by during my administrative years was always patients first, staff second and all the rules after that. It was the reason I was frequently out of a job. The good news about that kind of prioritization is the staff was quite loyal to me and followed me to other facilities. I reconnected with a wonderful man who told me I had made a difference in his life by the way I handled his schedule while he worked for me. We have remarkable chemistry and in the past month have discovered considerable compatibility. We both have had some significant life trials and right now we are having a lot of fun together.
Also, I attended my 50th High School Reunion a week ago and I must say it was a delightful experience. The most interesting part was no one had an agenda. It was just pure fun. We were all delighted to see each other. Many of us had not seen each other for 25 years and a few not for 50 years. Maybe we were all just glad to still be alive and having fun, but I don’t think so. There was a camaraderie that existed akin to being siblings. We had grown up through the critical teenage years together and we had survived. Then we had gone on to live our lives for the next 50 years and we had survived those as well.
It was amazing to see the successes and changes in people. There were no more jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, or hoods. We were just people who had spent some of the critical years of our lives together visiting and catching up with each other.
There was a difference between this reunion and the 25th reunion. In identifying the difference the only thing I can identify is that we were no longer trying to impress anyone. We just had fun.
Now we are grandparents and retired looking at life from a different perspective. Life is far from over for those of us who were there. We are a vital group of productive adults looking forward to what is next. I have to say I am excited about the future for everyone I saw at this reunion. Though we are the same people we are better, more experienced, seasoned and mellowed. We are aged like good whiskey. 1943 was a good year and the class of 61 proves it.
Thanks everyone for all the contributions to society and the difference that you have made. For everyone, don’t miss the reunions in your life. You never know what will come from the rejuvenation of friendships. There are no accidents in life everything happens for a reason and it serves you in ways you may never know. All in all its just another opportunity for personal growth that should be utilized.