'59 Still Shines

Sun, 17 Feb 2008

The year 1959 was a fine year. It was a shining year. It was a year when we were young. We were full of dreams and questions. Who would we marry? Where would we live? How many children would we have? Where would we work or where would our spouse work? It was a year before most of us would leave home to live for the first time. Some of us were in social clubs. Some of us went to all the parties and dances. Some of us felt left out and only on the fringe of all the activities. All of us probably had a few close classmates we could call dear friends.

Here we are 48 years later. We know the answers to our questions about our lives -- so far. Why is it when we hear from the class of 1959 we feel joy? Probably because it's a connection to our youth. We all walked the same hallways. We shared the same teachers and classmates. We watched each other up close and from a far.

Yes, the year 1959 was a fine year. It was a shining year, and it still shines -- in our hearts.

---Louella Cherry Spencer

TO: Anne Johnson

For some strange reason, when I awoke this morning I thought, "59 Still Shines"; so, I felt compelled to come and write a note to you. It is my suggestion for a theme. I'm sure we will get many good ones. I was thinking we could decorate with gold stars to represent the golden years. We could add a few silver ones to match the strands in our hair. We could have gold stars for name tags. We could have gold stars at the tables with a copy of our senior picture on them. Whatever is chosen, I'm sure it will be a good theme.

I was on the fringe in high school but had a few very dear friends. Now, when I see or hear from any of our classmates, I just want to give them a hug - a hug for sharing my youth with me and for still being here. We have lost some shining stars along the way but they are still remembered in our hearts.

Sincerely,

Louella Cherry Spencer