In July I attended my high school reunion. I had a great time and enjoyed reconnecting with friends. Some of them I see often even now and some I had not seen since high school. We danced, drank, ate, stayed up way too late, and basically behaved like the kids we still are somewhere in our own minds. A good time all the way around and I’ll go to the next one as well- gladly.
A couple of days later Facebook flooded the cyber-verse with lots of happy, smiling pictures of the event. Nice shots, good memories. Then the comments caught my eye. More than one person wrote something to the effect of, “Ahhh, look at you! So great to be able to celebrate the best days of your life.”
The best days of my life?
The best days of my life weren’t in high school, or even in college. And they aren’t past. I didn’t peak at seventeen. Sure, I had some amazing times. Beautiful pain, fierce joy, abdomen aching laughter, life-shaping lessons, all those formative, profoundly necessary moments. I’ll carry these precious memories with me for the rest of my life, diamonds that shimmer so long as I do. They stand alongside other amazing times: when I fell in love, carried, bore, and raised my children, the stories I’ve brought into the world, and the friends who have carried me through days that encompass the glorious and the downcast.
Even as I gaze fondly at the past, I appreciate my present and I welcome the future. All the things I have yet to learn, embraces to give, and songs I haven’t heard yet. They’re all waiting for me, like books on a library shelf.
This song encapsulates something of what I’m trying to say. It was recommended by an old friend of mine when he found out I was attending the reunion. The group is new to me (the song is from 2015, so not too ancient). New voices for me, but the lyrics bring up memories from my past. The best of both worlds. Past and future… never forgetting, but still eager for the new moments.
My friend Kimberly gave me a magnet I keep on my frig where I see it every day. It reads, “Isn’t wonderful to know that some of the best days of your life haven’t happened yet?”
Yes, yes it is. Here’s to the future… and the past.
This post was written by Erika Gardner. She’s a native Californian, lifelong lover of fantastical adventures, and a dedicated Whovian. If you enjoyed it, please sign up to receive updates on www.erikagardner.com Or you can follow Erika on Twitter @Erika_Gardner, “Like” her Facebook page Erika Gardner- Writer and Storyteller.Or check out her contributions to the BBB Blog. Erika’s debut novel, The Dragon in The Garden can be found at Tirgearr Publishing.
I remember a leadership-training film in 9th grade playing a song with the lyrics, “These are the greatest days of your life…so far.” It struck a chord with me. I try to look at most of my good times in life that way, at any age. That view lets me enjoy what I have and still leaves me possibilities to look forward to.