Old and New

As promised in the last entry, here's the link to Charlie Hall's song "New Year". He and his band were backstage somewhere on New Year's Eve and did this informal performance that was put on You Tube.

By definition, the word "new" brings thoughts of hope and freshness to our lives, both individually and as part of a bigger picture. Yet, I have been reminded of "old" this year also, as plans for my 35th high school reunion are underway. Through the advent of the internet and social networking sites such as Facebook, people I haven't been in touch with in 35 years are suddenly part of my life again.

Some of my peers don't share the same enthusiasm for getting reacquainted and I must admit I've felt that way before. Maybe it's the passage of time and in some cases, the lives of former classmates, that has made me more aware of the circle of life and the importance of all who have made me the person I am today. In pondering this, I came across the following poem that most of us have only heard in part. I thought it was worth reading, so here you go!

New Friends and Old Friends
by Joseph Parry

Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
New-made friendships, like new wine,
Age will mellow and refine.

Friendships that have stood the test -
Time and change - are surely best;
Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray,
Friendship never knows decay.

For 'mid old friends, tried and true,
Once more we our youth renew.
But old friends, alas! may die,
New friends must their place supply.

Cherish friendship in your breast -
New is good, but old is best;
Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.

So, to celebrate some of those gold friendships, here is a picture of our reunion committe that met in Smyrna last weekend. Among us we were at one time a football player, Mr. CHS, a cheerleader, an early graduate, a drill team member, honor graduates, home ec award winner, a drum major and mall cop, homecoming escorts, members of Who's Who, and an inspirational Senior English teacher who convinced us we could do anything we wanted to do.



This is me and my friend, Debbie. We met at Nash Junior High School in 7th grade and have stayed in touch all these years. We're in charge of finding our classmates which would be a bigger challenge than it is if Debbie wasn't already well into the process.



And yes, we're still trying to sell the house. We've had two people come look at it already, but no offers yet. A different realtor is bringing someone tomorrow, so I'm hoping Kit does a really good job convincing them this is a great house to buy!



Tomorrow, I'm off to Baltimore for a weekend of bonding with my "new" city, hanging out with my "old" husband, and going to see Chris Tomlin in concert only 3 miles from where our apartment is. I'll get another blog up as soon as I can. Until then, any prayers for safe travel would be greatly appreciated!