Dear 1985 Classmates:
What a long time since our last letter! Like an overdue term paper, I have been putting it off until a nudge from the college inspired me to write to all of you.
So much has happened these past couple of years, from elections, to the pandemic, to job changes or job losses or retirement, to delays of get-togethers; it has given me pause to try and make sense of the chaos and what, if anything, is a positive. To me, that came down to gratefulness.
Perhaps getting older and gratefulness go hand-in-hand as the “horizon” appears closer than it did when we were younger. To survive a global pandemic and come out alive made me more aware of our tenuous relationship with viruses and our health, and that made me really appreciate our healthcare system and those who tirelessly work in it.
Gratefulness encompasses so many aspects of our lives it can, at times, be masked over by the ordinary. Think of the days or nights you get to enjoy with your spouse or family or pets…just the every day pulse of the day. A bird chirping during the morning sunrise, the buzz of a city alive with traffic, or the laughter of friends and family can be things we take for granted. I am grateful I am still able to see and to hear them. Think of the meal cooking in the oven or freshly-baked cookies waiting to cool on a wire rack so you can devour not one but many. I am thankful I can still taste and smell their delightfulness and savor their deliciousness.
Being grateful is an almost unconscious act, yet it is so powerful that only once something is taken away from us do we realize what is most important. Take a moment or two or ten and reflect on what makes you most grateful. Of course, one of the many things I can go back to is the time I was at Luther. To be part of this amazing class with so many vibrant and enthusiastic personalities was really special! The “Luther bond” runs deep as evidenced by our class.
As we get closer to fall and Homecoming, remember that bond and how it was formed. Some people met by chance and have been friends since; others, shared a class or a lab together and were united in their like or dislike of it but benefited from the friendship that developed. Some of you found solace in the Oneota Room where you could gobble down a burger before class and share your adventures from the night before with your friends. I look back at those days and am truly grateful to have been there with you fellow classmates.
