After a couple of pleasant, but unremarkable months since we returned to Jamaica from Europe and Canada, it’s wonderful to be able to look back with massive affection at a real highlight in late November. This was definitely my YOLO (You Only Live Once) Moment of the Month.
On Saturday November 26th, I hosted a reunion for my law school classmates, which was both a fantastic event in itself and, I believe, will be a positive springboard for many of as we move into the future.
Like many professional graduates, I left law school eager to build my career and a life for myself. Fast forward 17 years and I realised that while I had remained close to a small group of batchmates and occasionally met with a few more, I had not seen most in over a decade and a half.
This saddened me, as we had been a fabulous group and I had shared so much with many of my batchmates whom I had not seen since 2005. Of course, this didn’t happen overnight. The idea fermented in the back of my mind until October of this year, when I decided that I wanted to make it happen.
While a 17th anniversary is not typically considered as one of the major milestone celebrations, if I didn’t act now this could easily end up as one of those good intentions that never quite happens. So, a 17th anniversary celebration it was.
After chatting with a few of the classmates with whom I had remained close, who loved the idea and promised support, I decided that November 26th would be the date for the 17th Anniversary Reunion of the Norman Manly Law School Class of 2005.
You might think that late November is a strange time to hold a school reunion, but it made perfect sense. While we completed our studies in the late spring, it was November 24th, 2005 that we were all called to the bar, which made the 26th of November the closest Saturday in 2022.
Many, including my husband Nick, laugh at the way I lovingly store and keep precious memories, but this was one of those occasions when it really helped. Within about a minute I was able to put my hands on our graduation group picture and an almost pristine copy of the programme from our graduation ceremony. Most importantly, the programme included a list of the 71 members of the class. So now I knew who to invite. How would I find them?
I started the old–school way by reaching out to those I still knew well to invite them and ask them for the contact details of others who they were still connected to, but with whom I’d lost contact. Very quickly I’d contacted about half of my former classmates.
The next step was to search social media, and LinkedIn in particular. I found another 23 through this route. Finally, I reached out to my new expanded network of batchmates asking for information about the 13 whom I hadn’t been able to make contact. Eventually, I was able to connect with all but 6 of the class.
As ten of the class came from other Caribbean nations such as Belize, Barbados and Antigua, and quite a number had since emigrated from Jamaica, I knew that I wouldn’t get close to a full house, so I was delighted that 23 took the time to join the get-together. We also had a few join at different times via a Zoom session set-up on the TV that Nick usually reserves for watching sport.
The evening flew by, as it was so much fun. I certainly loved it and, based on the feedback I received, so did the rest of the group. It was wonderful to see people laughing with each other and giving screeches of recognition and hugs to old friends who they had not seen for many years.
Initially two groups formed naturally: one on the patio area outside and the others, who inevitably congregated in the kitchen.
I was pleased, however, to see several moved from one group to the other. Before long, it was time to eat. We gathered in the kitchen to hold hands and offer a short prayer of thanks. Then it was time to tuck in!
Most of the food came from Chungs Catering Services, a stalwart of the local catering industry for over 40 years, and as ever they didn’t disappoint. There were also dishes provided by some of my batchmates and it’s clear that many have talents that stretch well beyond the courtroom. As a natural worrier, I was concerned that there wouldn’t be sufficient food to go around, but I needn’t have worried, as there was more than enough.
After the Zoom call with colleagues from overseas, we gathered in the TV room to cut a huge cake that one of my classmates had kindly brought with her.
We also took photos, both as a group all together and smaller more intimate numbers. For the rest of the evening, we moved around, talked and shared memories and caught up with each other. Of course, phone numbers and email addresses were widely shared.
When the final few friends left in the early hours of the morning, I took a moment to reflect on a wonderful evening. I realised that I had been lucky to be part of great group and how much I enjoyed spending time with every single one of them.
I believe that the event will have a legacy. I know that old friends who reconnected will remain in touch with each other, but I know that it will go beyond that. We have formed a WhatsApp group, within which we will keep in touch and post news. This reaped rewards the following Tuesday, as we were able share a live stream of two of our classmates, who obviously had not been able to join us, making representations to Jamaica’s highest court of appeal, the Privy Council. We were incredibly proud of them.
We’ve also talked about doing this again, but on a grander scale in 2025, our 20th Anniversary. Maybe in Florida, an ideal venue for most of us, including those who now live overseas. Let’s see what happens!
Author
Monique Abbott
Hi, I ’m Monique, founder and editor-in-chief of Yes2Yolo, travel addict, lover of home makeover projects among many other passions, including creative and inspirational writing to embolden us to live our best lives. At my core, I am a creative artistic being and I believe that creativity knows no end.
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I’ve explored over 60 countries with my husband Nick. Together we’ve partnered on some truly exciting projects such as creating and running a successful Airbnb business, chairing condo boards, purchasing fixer-uppers and renovating them from scratch on our own while balancing all of this with full-time jobs and family.
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While my personal passions are travel and home décor, I am, by profession, a lawyer with over 17 years experience.
What a kind gesture! Connections like these are treasures…sweet 🙂
Thanks Michelle. Happy Xmas!