A couple of weekends ago, many of my peers and colleagues from high school gathered together for a reunion. If I lived closer, I would probably have been there with them. It was a little sad to not be there to gather, catch-up and hear about all of the awesome things my friends have been up to these past few years.

At the same time, I am reminded of how grateful I am for social media. At the very least social media helps stay mildly in touch with my friends- in their stories, journeys, triumphs, challenges and changes. It helps to transcend the distance across states, countries and continents.

Social Media also helps to see some of the stories these wonderful people whom I shared classes with and many of whom we spent long days in many different schools together, are up to. I’m so proud of all these peers and friends who have gone on, following their dreams and vocational callings. Some have become chemists, doctors and nurses, financial advisers, lawyers, ministry leaders, professional musicians or photographers, professors, tech and website developers, teachers, people serving their country proudly in the armed forces… I suppose that is like most graduating classes from high school or college. However, I felt like this graduating class was a special group when we graduated from high school and I still think so, these years later seeing what all of us have been up to.

It is funny but important to think about social media. This graduating class from high school graduated just at the same time that Facebook was becoming a popular tool for college students to use, and shortly thereafter, anyone really. I remember that first summer after high school, waiting to receive my college email address in order to set up a Facebook account, and then looking for all those friends from my hometown who I wanted to “friend” on Facebook. I know I wasn’t alone in this.

I didn’t expect that I would use social media like I do today. I couldn’t have imagined that I would use it like I do today. I didn’t imagine maintaining a blog as a place of conversations and questions. Social Media has come a long way since high school and the start of college. It has become a norm in the way we do things and it will continue to be part of people’s lives.

I have found that for me, social media is a complimentary part of being a social leader, and connecting and being in relationship with others. I am grateful for it, because I still feel that I am somehow connected to my friends from home who, like me, have gone off following their dreams near and far.

Finally to all those remembering and reuniting- blessings, cheers and thank you for being friends and an inspiration! 

A note about the pictures: I figured it was safer to just share my own photos than to inadvertently share older pictures of others without their permission.