High School Reunion

It was a calm, intimate night. A group of old friends came together over food to reconnect and catch up. With their time together, it was like yesterday when they were crazy students.

Now that they're responsible, young professionals, they still managed to keep in touch with one another. In spite of the many changes that happened in their personal lives, they still remained to be the same people from then. And it had been a decade since their graduation.

How time flies so fast! We've reached this far, and our bond still continues to be intact, genuine, and lasting. This all goes back to the strong friendship that started since preschool and lasted for 14 years.

Of all the get-togethers with them that I attended, this one surely marked me. It’s more than the many conversations shared at the table. It’s about how much I had become after all those years. Did I change for the better? Can I still be the reliable and trustworthy classmate they know after 20 years? It was from there that I took time to look back on how high school for me was.



High school years were one of the carefree times. We were still able to experience life before technology took hold of every individual. Social media sites then were at its growing years. We tuned in to radios and music channels to know the latest songs. We had DVDs to watch our favorite movies. We still viewed our favorite shows on TV. And we enjoyed playing with video game consoles. As we lived simply, we were able to build relationships with one another.

I had batchmates who were seriousfunnysilenttalkativeweird (sometimes), annoying (to some extent), sporty, and intelligent. With these personalities combined, we were able to create the best moments together. We shared corny jokes, a few pranks, some teasings, many pressures of passing every exam, much-needed teamwork for school activities, and several memorable gatherings.

My relationship with them was alright. Though I only talked to them for anything schoolwork-related, we managed to be good, casual friends. They were kind and humble individuals. They were willing to befriend everyone in spite of their influence. And like any other friendships, we had conflicts and disagreements. But I was glad to witness personal reforms and renewed connections before we spent our last times together. We changed for the better. We became the best of ourselves as we matured.

When we parted ways, we wished the best of the future to one another. We didn't believe in goodbyes. We believed in seeing each other soon. And indeed we did.

We were able to get together during our first Christmas break in college. We were students of medicine, architecture, engineering, accounting, and computer science. We talked about our first taste of college life and other things we were involved with. And it became an annual thing that we meet up and update each other with our individual lives. When we heard of those who were able to graduate, we were happy for them. We were even happy for those who marched with flying colors. We became supporters of the life paths of each one. 

Fast forward to today, we're successful, young adults. Some are practicing their studied course as a profession. Some are focusing on their family businesses. Some are based outside the city. A few are now based outside the country. Some are now in a relationship. And one’s about to get married.



Much has changed me since then. Through those years, life asked me to stand on my own. But I'm okay with it as I look back. I learned to be kind. I learned to be open to anyone in need of anything. I learned to take the bright side of things in spite of difficulty. I learned to dream big. I learned to love more no matter how hard the situation. And most importantly, I learned to be a strength for myself and for others. Because of this, I'm able to give positive influence to others and be a great help to many. And I'm more than thankful for that.

It wasn't easy to be where I'm at now. It was tough to go through bullying, rejection, pain, and personal struggles. I made mistakes along the way. But I'm thankful for all of those who never gave up on me. They encouraged me that I can still change and do things better. Even though I still make mistakes, I'll work harder to show an improved side of me each day. That's rest assured.

I'm now at a point where I see them as ones whom I treasure for keeps. In spite of all the ups and downs I faced, I'm at ease for this fact. Whether it's about career, relationships, marriage, or parenting, I'll always wish them the best and give them my full support. My contact lines will always be open to them whenever they need anything.

I don't know if there'll be more to come in the future. When that happens, I don't know if I can still attend. I'll be fully focused on my career by this time. But what if things change? What if I become a teacher and find out that my students are their kids? Or if I become a dancer and share a stage with them? What if I become a writer and find myself covering an event they're holding? Or if I become an owner of an IT company and see myself partnering with them?

Can I still see them as time goes by? Will my kids be friends with their kids? Only time will tell. As long as there's a chance, it's to be savored.

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