#30yearreunion

[zamnaavila]

#banningpilots #30yearreunion (at Gaslamp Long Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjKpGJ1uoWCNlCr1ue0uki7z274_q0Ymtpn60c0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[zamnaavila]

Great day after a rough couple of weeks. Awesome seeing friends from high school. #banningpilots #30yearreunion https://www.instagram.com/p/CjKKVcQus5d-npJcXXldvdjGFcEVuNjT-V2qqM0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kmove]

High School Hotties🔥 🔥🔥#jfk💚 #30yearreunion 💛 #cougars takes on a #wholenewmeaning now! #rightladies #jk 😸...let me get off the gram 😹 @that_islandgirl1 (at Sacramento, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1F98ULpLP0/?igshid=s4rs5rpte328

[chopbuiltinc]

Late #FBF entry, to commemorate the first round of #VVSI #30YearReunion and looking forward to a third round sometime in the near future. #Circa2013 #GoodYear #217LbsOfPureDynomite #LiVED #LoVED #NEvEREvERGaVEuP

[jenmdixon]

Lunch and tawk. 💜 #asj #classof87 #30yearreunion #friendshipgoals #theseladiesareawesome (at The Cheesecake Factory)

[jenmdixon]

We are enjpying #adultbeverages - Tracy, Grace Mary, and I. 💜 #asj #stillfriends #30yearreunion #holycrapitscold (at The Cheesecake Factory)

[confessionsofafoodaddict]

30 Year Lesson

On July 1st, I celebrated my 30-year high school reunion with an amazing group of people who shaped me into the person I am today.

As we caught up over the course of two days, the natural conversations ranged from people who have passed away, people who have gone on to accomplish really amazing things (Disney illustrators, lead singers of major bands, etc!!!), and, of course, who aged really well and those who may have harder road.

As the drinks and compliments flowed over each other, nothing compared to a conversation i had with a woman I barely knew in high school.

This woman was, in my memory, COOL. Just cool. She was in the artsy, music, edgy crowd, while I traveled in the sporty, nerdy, student council type of circles.

I haven’t seen her quite literally in 30 years and was so thrilled to see her at the reunion! We said hello briefly during the reunion itself, but were able to catch up more extensively later in the night at the “after” party.

As we were wrapping up our conversation and I was getting ready to head home, she suddenly seemed nervous and said she really wanted to tell me something.

She then proceeded to recount a time during high school when she came to my house with my neighbor, whom she was good friends with. She described what I was wearing and our family room and some show I was watching.

I have absolutely no memory of that taking place and her memory and details were so precise that I was amazed.

She then took a deep breath and said that she always remembers how nice I was to her. That she was there with her dyed jet black hair and black lipstick and goth clothes and I was there with my fuzzy slippers and blond hair and matching sweats and that I was friendly and laughing and just NICE. She then quietly said that not everyone was nice and that she will always remember that.

I got tears in my eyes. I was floored that she remembered that evening so strongly and so vividly and clearly had pain around people NOT being nice... and all I could think was, WOW! Here I thought she was so cool and so hip and so confident, all the while not knowing that she had been pained by mean comments and behavior from others.

I then thought, thank GOD her memory was NOT of me being one of the people who caused her pain. Instead, I am honored and humbled to be one of her good memories from school.

And it served as a reminder that someone may not remember what you say or do specifically, but they will ALWAYS remember how you made them FEEL. So always be gentle with your words and your actions. It’s a small thing to you, but can be huge for someone else.

But mostly it reminded me that physical beauty is an empty shell if there is ugliness beneath.

For me, that conversation was by far the greatest compliment I received all weekend, and quite honestly, ever in my life.

Thank you Shannon for sharing it with me. You made my night, my week, my reunion, and my year.