When We Go to the Reunion

Long before I got the nerve to go to my work reunion, I was flooded with insecurities. How old (really) have I gotten? Am I going to miss the former version of myself? And what in the world do I wear?!

Despite my reluctance, I knew I’d value reconnecting with those who knew me before I even knew myself very well. There’s something restorative about being in the presence of those who helped shape the trajectory of your life twenty years ago.

So, setting aside my travel (and reunion) anxiety, I hopped a redeye to New York over the weekend. I hugged the colleagues who taught me so much— about entrepreneurship, yes, but even more about discipline, tenacity, and the unbridled joy that can come from a thriving workplace culture. We shared our latest struggles— a chronically sick parent or recent layoff— as well as our adventures— traveling the world and reinventing our careers.

By leaping back in time, I started to forgive my future self for mistakes not yet made and celebrate triumphs not yet in my line of sight.

I went to the reunion of people, but also of places. I walked through New York City— now traveling with a mom’s eyes— a new perspective and identity. More life lived.

On the day it didn’t rain, I covered countless city blocks, overhearing fragments from a tapestry of storied lives like open stitches waiting to be sewn:

“You mean he’s losing a lot of blood and now they’re not sure he’s gonna make it?”

“This itching, though…”

“Uh, I’m so confused by your email—“

“And I didn’t even know that he was mad, bro!”

I heard sirens. Prayers recited in languages birthed in the Middle East. Construction clatter. I took in a dance and a rap and a baby’s cry, all jumbled together in one public square. I was reminded how the chapters of our lives are still being written.

Above the long shadows from lingering autumn light, a solitary helicopter hovered, the sound weighing down like a heavy warning to a city all-too familiar with grief.

In our day-to-day work with others, we may not stop to consider the potential for reunion 5, 10, or 20 years from now. We might even let today’s small irritants erode the opportunity for long friendships or future business partnerships.

Reunions may call us to ask: Am I showing up in my work and life in the way I’d like? Am I fully present in these moments? Do I let go of the petty slights and daily distractions to fully understand and empathize with these colleagues journeying with me?

I went to the reunion. I got reacquainted with myself— who I was then, and who I’m still becoming. I marveled at the irresistible people I still have the great fortune to know. And even with the backdrop of a world being torn apart, we chose to come together. My heart is full.