My How Things Change

It's funny how things can change when you aren't paying attention. I have come back to visit my parents in Estacada, OR for the weekend and have found a lot of things are different than I remember ten years ago. I don't know how many of you have the opportunity to visit your hometowns. I know a lot of my friends and family don't get along with their family well enough to spend more than an afternoon with them. I feel sorry for them. In that matter, I am very blessed to have wonderful parents who I could spend forever with and never get bored/frustrated/annoyed. Take your pick!

It's fun to come back to church and see everyone. My young women's leaders seem shorter than I remember, but I know that they still love me and are so happy to see me and my kids. The deacons passing the sacrament are the babies that I remember being in Sunbeams all those years ago. There are lots of new families too. It's all very strange, but familiar at the same time.

I visited the junior high today to see my mom at work. That brought back a few memories! Things have changed a lot. Everything has been updated and looks wonderful. I had memory flashbacks of walking the halls, going to class, remembering people I knew - some good, some not so good. But I decided after this many years, nothing negative that happened back then really matters anymore.

I've actually ran into a few people I knew from school this weekend. Most have at least one kid. Like me, everyone has put on a few extra pounds. Some are just visiting their family, some have moved back to the area. But it's fun to see how we all ended up. I left Estacada three days after graduation without saying goodbye to the few friends I had. Sometimes I regret that, but mostly I wanted to get out and get as far away from this little town as possible. It's interesting now, coming back, that I can finally see the good that I left behind. So many wonderful people, terrific schools, and of course my family. I would recommend to each of you to go back to your old stomping grounds and have a good long look around. Maybe you will find, like I have, that a few of the less happy memories have faded and while you were waiting for the town to grow up - you grew up instead! Who knows, maybe next trip I'll get over to the high school?

A special thanks to my parents for giving me this opportunity to reflect. It's been great staying with you. I love you both very much! And thanks to Ruston for surviving a few days home alone while I get to visit my mom and dad. You are wonderful!

Love, Alesha


New pictures coming soon. And probably a new post, since this one is more sentimental than usual. Keep checking back!