“A true friendSHIP is a journey without an end.” Unknown
Over the years, we’ve all forged friendSHIPS with people who have made some invaluable contributions to our lives. But time and the busyness of life may have resulted in OUR friendSHIPS becoming distant. Well NOT if you are a Monarch that graduated from Morningside High School in Inglewood, California. Because our hard-working alumni association makes sure we maintain our strong bond. See every year they host the Annual ALL-Class Alumni picnic on the 3rd Saturday in August and we have a BLAST!!! It was the first time since the pandemic that we were able to gather and we did just that!! Monarchs from all over showed up and showed out. It was truly a day filled with love. Do you have good friendSHIPS? How do you maintain them? Do you get together often? You already know we DO!!! So for this week’s blog, let’s talk SHIP about the importance of maintaining OUR friendSHIPS!!
My weekend was spent attending our ALL Class Alumni picnic with a couple hundred of my classmates and it was off the chain!! People representing classes from 1970 through 2010 were in attendance. It was a beautiful day filled with competitions, memorials, and frills. People flocked the registration tables to help their class win for having the most people in attendance attempting to win bragging rights and the coveted Scepter for the year. Tents, beautifully decorated, by classes trying to win the tent decoration competition adorned the park grounds. We released white doves in memory of Fallen Monarchs who passed away during the previous year. All throughout the park, besides music, all you could hear were the sounds of laughter, smack talking, and unrecognizable chatter and all you could see were smiles, hugs, and dabs. You could hear, see, and feel the love everywhere. The entire day was spent laughing, dancing, reminiscing, and renewing OUR friendSHIPS.
Since most of us, albeit at different times, attended the same elementary, junior high, and high school and lived in the same neighborhoods rekindling OUR friendSHIPS was going to be easy. Not only did we grow up together, but we were also able to watch each other grow. Our high school has a host of notable alumni-musicians, professional athletes-football, baseball, basketball both NBA and WNBA, comedians, actor/tresses, CEOs, Veterinarians, philanthropists, doctors/dentists, lawyers, gold medalists, producers, screenwriters, etc. that attend the picnic annually and have a great time. They come because they know it’s not about their celebrity. They understand that we gather to celebrate OUR friendSHIPS with those who knew us before we knew ourselves. They know we gather to celebrate OUR friendSHIPS with people who knew us before life kicked in and regardless of how it kicked see us the same as in high school. We gather because we recognize the need and importance of taking the time if only for a few hours, to cultivate OUR friendSHIPS.
During the picnic, a classmate showed up filled with emotions and shared that she wasn’t coming but reconnected with someone she hadn’t heard from or seen in 45 years and had to come. They were excited to reestablish their friendSHIP. I asked a younger classmate if he was enjoying himself, and he said “ Oh yeah. It’s overwhelming but in a good way.” He, too, was happy rekindling friendSHIPS and creating new ones. Everyone’s pictures on the alumni page along with the positive comments expressed by those that attended for the first time are indications of how successful the 2022 All-Class Picnic was. I look forward to the picnic every year and I graduated over 40 years ago and am blessed that I am still able to chop it up with people I’ve known since the 3rd grade. People who we make time to talk to and see each other frequently so that OUR friendSHIPS continue to grow. This past weekend revealed the importance of maintaining genuine friendSHIPS. But, how? Being intentional and taking time to nurture OUR relationSHIPS is essential if they are going to grow. So take the time, reach out, and start cultivating those friendSHIPS that are important to you because one day you won’t be able to!!
SHIP TALK: Do you have good friendSHIPS? How do you maintain them?
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We missed you. There were so many people. My knee was acting up so I wasn’t as mobile as I’d like.
Being an alumna of Morningside, one would only expect a good time and so glad to hear it was!
To answer your questions, “Do I have good friendships?” and “How do I maintain them?” I’d say yes! I have “”friendships that are “good”and many that are “great”. I also believe there are levels of friendship. Cultivating friendships are important and with that staying in communication with friends are important as well 💕