Reunited!

Posting tonight after a very pleasant afternoon in Memory Lane!

My high school years were spent at a Catholic all girls boarding school. Today, some of those girls met for a 30 year reunion. I am really disappointed that I am having problems with my camera connections and it keeps saying I can't transfer my pictures. I was going to do some before and afters! Instead I have scanned on the photograph of our Boarders of my senior year.

We did not have an all of class reunion as none of us felt we had the time, energy or resources to track everyone, but we contacted as many as possible and depended on word of mouth among girls who had stayed in contact.

It was marvellous to catch up with different ones. So many old pranks to recount, characters to remember, teachers to imitate. So many years to fill in the gaps. Careers, marriages, children, divorces, grandchildren, illnesses, trials and triumphs.

Boarding school is a unique experience. The home sickness we endured was tempered by the friendships we made. And for those five years, these girls were like family. I missed my family terribly and the bush life, but I actually have enjoyable memories of my school days. Some of the girls did not feel that way but still valued the friendships forged during that time.

Some who have not seen me in the intervening years wondered that I had chosen to home school my own children when I was one who did enjoy my own school experience. (Also have fond memories of my primary school years in a little 2/3 teacher school in CQ) so that was an opportunity to tell them of my faith in Christ and new convictions. (One girl said, "But you always were a Christian." which is what I probably thought too when growing up as a Roman Catholic) Again a brief opportunity to speak of faith in Christ alone for salvation.

One sad thing, apart from myself and one other who has become a Christian, most of the others seem to be either completely anti-religion, or very nominal RC (not attending but kids go to RC schools) I just went along to catch up with the ones who were close friends then, and some I have stayed friendly with over the years. The ones with the foul mouths and too much enjoyment of alcohol were probably the ones I wasn't too friendly with any way.

One blessing is, that as far as we know, no one from our year has died yet.

The picture above is of "The Tower". This structure is now Heritage Listed and was part of the old Middle Hall (assembly area). The residence is still used as a boarding facility for the local co-ed Catholic school, but the Convent and school area are now part of a retirement village. Ironically, my parents who sent four daughters here, now live in a retirement unit right about where our old Science block used to stand!

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