You Are Cordially Invited...

Two invitations came in today's mail which signified a lot of time has passed by.

The first:

The faculty and alumni of

St John's Parochial School

invite your presence

to the

20th high school reunion

of

Class 1985

on

December 15, 2005, 8 pm

Four Seasons Hotel

San Francisco, California

Whoa! It's been 20 years since I graduated from high school? OMG! A flood of really great memories came back right now. For some, high school was pure hell but it was the best of times for me. It was when I first realized that I was "different" from the other guys. By senior year, I was very sure of who I am. It helped that I grew up with these five other guys who are my lifelong bestfriends. We may be far from each other now but every year, we get together back here in San Francisco for a long weekend and just catch up. I will always remember all the good stuff we did and the not-so-great ones, too! But along with the growing up were the anxiety of impending adulthood. I was the only one in my group who was not quite sure of what to do for college. There was no question about going; it was where and for what. And somehow, through the years, I got to where I am now. These friends were also the ones who encouraged me to earn my grad degrees and were my guests when I received my MS in Health Administration diploma.

So I called all of them and of course, all are coming to the party! It would be fun to see everyone again. It was a small class anyway. There were only 75 members of class 2005. There were the usual jocks and geeks. The geeks had gone on to Stanford, UC Berkeley, or MIT while the jocks went to Princeton or Yale. We were probably the only high school in San Francisco that had polo and golf as part of the sports program in school. We did have tennis, lacrosse and the "normal" sports: basketball, swimming, football. We were never competitive in basketball or football but we were really good in the others. Two guys from my class ended up going into the priesthood and now lead their own parishes. The school had one of the best and strongest art programs in San Francisco. We had a marching band, a full-fledged orchestra, art classes like crazy. The school is very well funded by its alumni. We were the last class to graduate when it was still an all-boys Catholic school. The following year, they started admitting girls in grade school. The end of an era...

The second:

Miguel Antonio Zanrider

and

Maria Giselle Olivar Lucas

request the honor of your presence

as they pronounce their vows

as man and wife

on

July 17 2006, 4 pm

St Mary's Cathedral

San Francisco, California

OMG. My baby's getting married!!! Marie-G, as we called her, was the first of the new generation of nieces and nephews. I remember holding her as a baby, consoling her when she was having tantrums, being her 'ninong', picking her up from pre-school, running up and down Grant Avenue in Chinatown, taking her to Disneyland, climbing the Statue of Liberty. My cousin, who chose to be a single parent, was happy to have a built-in free babysitters! My brothers and I (even my mom) took turns in taking care of her and bringing her to places that she would, otherwise, not have been able to go. I was there when she graduated from high school. I remember going to Paris and getting lost at the Louvre Museum with her. Her perfect French got us the best food and wine when we were there. I was devastated (and so was her mom) that she chose to go to Brown University instead. But then I realized I was the one who told her to get out of California so she can grow her own wings. After getting her MA in Modern Culture and Media, she moved back and has a great job in the entertainment industry. My, has she flown higher than ever! But I would always remember her as this little kid in a red overcoat, a light blue dress, white tights and black Mary Janes...

In her letter asking me to be one of the principal sponsors for her wedding, she said something that made me tear up a bit: "You are one of the 'fathers' that I have known all my life and nothing would make me happier if you were there to support us on this special occasion. Do you remember what you told me when you first met Mike at Tita Annie's party? I was really nervous when you and your cousins started grilling him! But then at the end, you pulled me aside and said "he is the one". I asked what made you sure and you just said 'basta!'. Gut instinct, I guess. But you have always been like that: more from what your heart tells you rather than what others say. That is the one thing that I have always loved about you. I'd like to thank you for being one of my parents; for always being there for me and mom; for teaching and showing me what I need to learn and see beyond what is visible to the eye; for trusting me and allowing me to make my own mistakes and for letting me grow. I would not be where I am now without you and your guidance. And now, as I finally take this big step, I would want you, one more time, to be at my side. And for Mike, too!".

Twenty years after high school and a niece getting married...life continues its cycle. As depressing as it may sound, I do not have much choice but to go with the flow. Accepting this is much easier than fighting it. I can't stop time from moving on; better to just let it happen. Besides, there's going to be these two fabulous ocassions and they provide an excuse to go shopping. And that's what matters in the end.