Oh What A Night

What a night. Twenty years...it was like being in some kind of bizarre time warp. Like here are all these peple I have locked in my mind at 18 year olds...like we've all gone through the age-progression photography they show on TV sometimes, yet in 3-D!! I have to say that overall, the women aged better than the men. Some of the women didn't look more than a year or two different (so unfair), with a much less '80's hairdo of course. Some aged beautifully, some gracefully, some, not-so-much. For name tags we all had our senior pictures on them with our maiden and married names, and our spouses had their names with our pictures. Now, my graduating class was only about 125 people...so when you look at someone and go: I have no idea who that is, you're hoping it's a spouse.

There were 2 women there last night who would definitely win the "most amazing looking after 20 year awards." Talk about brilliant, beautiful, polished women. It was a trip. And since they are both wonderful PEOPLE on the inside, it just makes you all the more pleased they are doing so well and looking terrific.

Lots of irony last night. I honestly thought I would leave being upset and thinking, "All these people are normal, have normal lives, are healthy, happy, successful..." And some are, I'm sure. But lots more aren't. Whether they were there or not, we heard of divorce, alcoholism, cancer, serious kid trouble.... I left last night thinking, I have an amazing life! Gosh, so many with unhappy marriages. So sad.

I was also amazed at how many of the men were totally bald! I mean cue-ball! And since we graduated in '89, all these guys had mullets...so it was HILARIOUS.

Lots of questions about me...the trach, what happened....I made a few people cry, which made me feel bad...one guy I've known since we were 5 years old...that broke my heart. My life is SO GOOD compared to some.

When Doug and I left, we walked outside through a bunch of the smokers, and I couldn't resist.... I shook my "scolding finger" at them, pointed to my trach and said, "See what happens if you keep smoking????" Some of them just jar-dropped, others looked away, and a few were like, is that what happened??? I kind of chuckled and said no, but I do say that when I see kids smoking!

So I had to explain quickly...I got all choked up, which is dumb, since I had been talking about it all night, but I just kept saying, I have a great life.....and I do!! Some of these people, my age, people I've known my whole life...are just broken inside. It was so sad.

So instead of leaving, crying and being jealous of everyone there, I left thinking, they should be jealous of me! I have an amazing, loving, faithful husband, a beautiful, crazy smart, healthy, happy miralce boy, and I love the Lord. And I know He loves me.

So to those precious friends, who told me they pray for me, who read my blog that I didn't know about! (hi!), thank you!!! Please keep praying and reading....God is so good.

To those precious friends who weren't there last night, for whatever reason....we missed you!

And to those precious friends who are hurting, who are struggling with bad marriages or addiction, or trouble with their children....I will be praying for you...that you get to know the God I do....and that He will heal your broken hearts, because He is the only one who can.

Overall, what a wonderful night. I got to see some good friends, have a date night with my husband, and was reminded that my life is AWESOME, all in the same night. Oh, what a night!