June 2: A 25 Year Reunion

Although this cannot possibly be true, apparently Carl and I graduated from college 25 years ago. We just wrapped up a wonderful reunion weekend, traipsing all around Swarthmore’s gorgeous and ever-changing campus, belting out “I Will Survive” with our classmates in our favorite party room, staying in one of our old dorms, dancing to “Like a Prayer,” visiting my sixth grade teacher for whom I babysat when I was a college student, and generally taking many steps down memory lane. We also climbed to the top of the bell tower, which was not something accessible to students in our college years. I’m not sure why I decided to go up, given my fear of heights. But somehow I thought it would be good to do, and I have survived climbing similar things in the past. When I got back down I gratefully flopped onto the grass, and I will not need to climb it for any future reunion. 

This was our first reunion without kids since we became parents. Sarah and Amy had a fun Grandma and Grandpa weekend that included a trip to the history center. Amy enjoyed her evenings doing art with our cat on her lap, and Sarah spent some time calling us to share how much she misses her bus driver, which is her frequent feeling when not riding to or from school. 

Friday was Sarah’s last day as a sophomore. To commemorate their year of rides together, her beloved bus driver got her a custom-made hat to echo the hat he always wears and that she likes to talk about. Now we have our fingers mightily crossed that we get the same driver next year. Part of that will depend on the renewal of the contract between the pittsburgh public school system and Z-trip, the taxi company that provided Sarah’s bus service this past year. 

Since Monday was a holiday we went to the zoo with some friends. Amy and her bestie did drawings of several animals, and Sarah held the zoo map while pretending to be a tour guide. That day also included lots of walking, but once we got to the aquarium, Sarah sat watching the fish for many minutes. We also watched the penguins hopping in and out of the water. Amy and her friend were observing the gorillas when a large male gorilla charged the glass window, much to their startlement. When Sarah saw a metal jaguar statue, she promptly hopped on its back and sang “row row row your jaguar gently down the zoo.”

May you all have gentle jaguar rides and good memories of your past moments.