We Don't Change

Yesterday I had lunch with three friends:

One I see regularly and talk to multiple times a day.
One I see occasionally but we have enjoyed a reconnection of our friendship.
One I had not seen in 25 years or so.

Maybe it's a problem with my eyesight but they all look the same to me. Their voices sound the same. The sense of humor is intact. Yes, I realize we've aged but I had a couple of "Oh My Gosh" flashes. We could've just as easily been sitting in our high school instead of discussing children who are in college.

As you know, I'm not big on organized reunions. I prefer the smaller ones.

In this microcosm yesterday, I admired each of them. But it also made me wonder:

Did the girls who were the most popular in high school maintain it?
Did the jocks keep up their studly appearance or did they become people with big bellies?
Did the druggies survive? Are they still druggies?
Did the brainiacs go on to do something brilliant?
Are the nerds conquering the world? Or just wearing pocket protectors?
Did that cutest couple in high school stay married?

I have detectives on the case.

Family Photo Rules

My Uncle Ken had a rule about photos, particularly photos that captured the event. It could've been a holiday or a family reunion but the rule was this:

If you are not related to or married to someone in this family, please step away as we take the family photo.

The first time he ever met the husband, we were not married. My father had not seen his sisters together in decades. An aside: We don't go to many reunions and we get a lot of grief for it. My paternal grandmother's maiden name was Strange. It's a little jarring to be driving through the countryside, looking for a particular park or gathering place and watching for signs that say, "Strange Family Reunion." God does have a sense of humor.I think it was 1992. We have a photo of my father, his sisters, the husband (who was not a husband at the time) and me. My mother keeps this photo on her desk. I visit it in my mind.A few months later, my Uncle Ken came to our home and performed a wedding blessing ceremony for us. He loved us but I'm also convinced he was validating the photo.