This past month my husband and I spent two consecutive weekends in Portland with family for two school-related events. The two represented the opposite ends of the public school spectrum and provided an opportunity to look back fondly at long-past school days and anticipate future years of learning and growth.

The first celebration was my 50th high school reunion, with a reception Friday night and a casual potluck picnic the next day. I had attended the 20th and 40th reunions and had mixed feelings anticipating this one. I had attended BHS for only my junior and senior years and so did not have the life-long connections many of my classmates had from kindergarten on, so memories on both sides were dim. Also, my class was very big: 592 graduates in all. It helped that the reunion committee communicated very well leading up to the event, and they provided a list of those who would be attending. I picked out the names of several friends with whom I had been out of touch for some time, and I looked forward to catching up with them.

An added twist that makes my reunions more fun: My husband, Harry, was a first-year social studies teacher during my senior year at BHS. In such a big school, our paths never crossed until years later, but it does mean that he knows and is known by more students than me. Unlike many partners at school reunions, he doesn’t have to sit on the sidelines while old stories and inside jokes go over his head; he has his own to swap and share with former students. As it turned out, we both had a great time, and from the din of many conversations that filled the event space throughout the night, so did the majority of the attendees. We had a turnout of about 175 graduates, and I noted that folks didn’t limit their chat to just their circle of high school friends, but people really enjoyed conversing with everyone, whether they knew them before or not. As the years pass, the clique-ishness falls away and people find connections and similarities that they never would have considered or pursued in high school. We both really enjoyed that evening event and looked forward to the next day’s picnic, which promised to be a little more relaxed and less crowded.

In the meantime, we enjoyed time with our daughter and granddaughters the next morning attending a festival and parade in Multnomah Village, a self-styled “village in the heart of Portland” (really more in the southwest suburbs) that does have a cozy, slower-paced vibe and lots of interesting shops, pubs and restaurants. The main two-lane street running through the center of the neighborhood was closed off and lined with booths from (it seemed) every business and nonprofit associated with the community.  We wandered among them and then found a curbside spot from which to watch the parade (and within reach of the candy tossed to the kids by the participants). It wasn’t very long but contained some entertaining groups, including a push-mower precision drill team and dogs in costume. Afterwards, we took the girls to some of the crafts booths set up in the parking lot of the arts and community center to let them try a few things, and then followed the strolling jazz band (à la New Orleans) down the street to explore more vendors. It made for a fun, eclectic morning!

The following weekend we returned to attend granddaughter June’s preschool graduation ceremony. For the past two years she has attended a program that has provided so much enrichment and many wonderful experiences — as well as teaching her social skills and her numbers and letters. The kids have learned how to care for NICU babies, traveled the world (virtually) and learned about other cultures, and this summer they were eco-rangers and “rescued” endangered species (stuffies) and learned how to protect the environment. During the celebration the seven graduates and their “undergrad” classmates shared with us facts they learned about their rescued critters and sang songs. As the diplomas were handed out, the teachers shared with everyone the unique gifts and special character of each of their soon-to-be-kindergartners graduates. There were few dry eyes and many proud family members by the time the ceremony concluded.

We wrapped up the day with dinner at June’s all-time favorite restaurant: Din Tai Fung. This child is destined to be a world traveler, if her dining preferences are any indication! Din Tai Fung is her go-to choice for celebratory meals (so much so that she has a special pair of unicorn “chomp sticks” for the experience, with which she has become quite adept). We loaded up the table with an assortment of June’s and our favorites, including sweet and sour pork baby back ribs, string beans with garlic, wontons, chicken dumplings, rich and thick hot and sour soup, xiao long bao,  and (June’s absolute favorite) sticky rice shao mai with pork.  We stuffed ourselves full and still left room for a little ice cream to top off the happy day. It was a great launch to June’s public school career, and I look forward to the coming years as she moves onward to her own high school graduation and all those reunions to come.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor